I’m a dietitian – the food additives that increase 3 life-threatening diseases and the 12 common additives to watch for
FOOD additives are contained in everything we eat, from bread to meat, and tins to freezer meals.
Scientists reckon that the average person in the UK now consumes more than EIGHT KILOGRAMS of chemical additives every year.
Eating too many heightens our risk of developing and dying from cancer.
They have also been linked to serious conditions including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Yet more than 70 per cent of us do not know how to spot ultra-processed foods that are laden with artificial sweeteners, colourings and preservatives.
Today Sun on Sunday Health reveals the difference between the good additives that occur in nature and the bad additives that can do damage.
Maria Dow, dietitian in the NHS and at the private Albyn Hospital, Aberdeen, said: “Almost all of our food contains additives of one kind or another.
“In some cases they are very handy and allow our food to keep for longer or protect us from food poisoning.
“Some, like the colour beetroot or ascorbic acid (vitamin C), occur naturally.
“But large quantities of any additives are no good for us because the body is not designed to process too many of them. Like many things in our diet, they should only be consumed in moderation.”
All additives are safe for human consumption and assessed by food standards chiefs before they can be added to food and drink.
They include sweeteners, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners.
Additives, including natural ones, are all identified by an E-number, which appears next to the name on ingredient labels.
Scientists at Imperial College, London, revealed earlier this year how eating more ultra-processed foods, containing additives, was associated with increased risks of developing all types of cancer.
And under-fives in the UK consume more ultra-processed foods than in any other country, according to First Steps Nutrition Trust.
The Food Standards Agency warns against foods that contain artificial food colours, found to cause hyperactivity in children, including sunset yellow FCF (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), yellow-coloured tartrazine (E102), red-coloured carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129) and ponceau 4R (E124), also red.
Food which contains any one of them has to carry a warning label for parents.
Maria said: “I’m finding more and more people are moving away from frozen and tinned ultra-processed meals which contain more additives than fresh food.
“Eliminating additives altogether would be very difficult but the key is getting to know which ones are most commonly put into our food and what the health risks are so you can make smart diet choices.”
12 COMMON ADDITIVES
MARIA DOW’S guide to a dozen common additives:
- Nitrates and nitrites (E249-252): These preservatives include potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate and are found in cured meat, such as bacon and ham, to give a salty, cured flavour and protect against food poisoning.
MPs have called for a ban after they were associated with bowel, breast and prostate cancer. Nitrates also occur naturally in vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spinach but in safer, much less concentrated quantities. - Sunset yellow (E110): This is found in jellies, sweets, chips, biscuits, cake decorations, soft drinks and instant noodles and is one of the artificial colours that comes with a warning from the Food Standards Agency. It is a chemical compound and therefore harder for your body to break down and can lead to hyperactivity in some children.
- Ascorbic acid (E300): A naturally occurring additive that is another name for vitamin C. This is actually good for us. It is found in fruit juices and dried fruit, such as raisins, and is used to prolong shelf life.
- Curcumin (E100): Another naturally occurring additive which gives salad dressing, sauces and frozen curries their yellowy orange colour. It derives from the spice turmeric and has anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Aspartame (E951): A man-made sweetener used to replace sugar in sugar-free drinks and foods, especially puddings. Some people experience headaches and joint pain from it.
- Sorbitol (E420): Found in sugar-free mints, sweets and milkshakes, this is a sugar alcohol six times sweeter than sugar. It can cause gut and digestive problems in around one in ten people.
- Saccharin (E954): Another sugar substitute found in sweeteners, this is extremely sweet and safe if eaten in small quantities.
- Lecithin (E322): An emulsifier found in mayonnaise, smoothies, chocolate and ice cream used to mix oil and water-based ingredients. Not harmful, but too much can cause an upset tummy.
- Shellac (E904): This glazing agent is used to give food like chocolate a shiny finish. It can be natural or synthetic and provides no nutritional value.
- Monosodium Glutamate (E621): Better known as MSG, this flavour enhancer stimulates taste bud receptors. A small proportion of people have reactions of headaches, sweating, heart palpitations and numbness in the face and neck.
- Xylitol (E967): A natural sugar alcohol found in plants, fruit and vegetables and used as a sugar substitute in chewing gum, sweets and toothpastes. It is recommended in amounts up to about 50 grams daily but can cause diarrhoea in some people.
- Xanthan gum (E415): This is a natural additive produced from sugar and molasses and used as a thickening agent and emulsifier. In quantities contained in food, it should not lead to side-effects.