Additives

Thousands of artificial additives – colourings, flavourings, sweeteners, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners and more – can legally be added to our food. Whilst most have been proven safe to consume individually, there is a question mark over their safety when consumed together.

With uncertainty surrounding the health effects of artificial additives, should we apply the precautionary principle?

• The Southampton Study (commissioned by the Food Standards Agency) appears to confirm the link between additives and hyperactivity in children
• It also found that genetic make-up predisposes some children to more extreme reactions to additives
• As a result of the study, the FSA will encourage manufacturers to voluntarily ban the additives covered in the study (sunset yellow, tartrazine, carmoisine, ponceau 4R and sodium benzoate) from their products.

Incidents when illegal products have been added to food, such as the major product recall when Sudan 1 dye entered the food chain, illustrate the complexity of contemporary manufacturing and distribution systems. From May 2003, when Sudan 1 was discovered in food, to November 2005, the UK Food Standards Agency discovered Sudan 1 in 600 products.

Priorities

• Wider research needs to be conducted into the affects of artificial additives in our food
• Findings need to be desseminated sensibly to the public so that they are informed and can make more informed choices
• Manufacturers should work with food engineers to reduce uneccessary additives
• Government needs to take a lead with research, eduction and better regulation for both domestic and imported products.