Food Additives
A food additive is any substance that is not normally consumed as a food in itself and is not normally an ingredient, but which is allowed to be there if it fulfils a technological function in the final food”.
Preservatives preventing food from ‘going off’
(preservatives have code numbers in 200s) Sulphites (including sodium bisulphite (222), sodium metabisulphite (223) and potassium bisulphite (228) found in wine, beer and dried fruit, are known to trigger asthmatic episodes and cause migraines in people who are sensitive to them. Also sodium nitrate (251) and sodium nitrite (250), which are used in processed meats, have been classified as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ They have also been associated with intolerances, particularly among people with asthma.
Flavour enhancer improving the flavour of food
Monosodium glutamate—MSG (621) is a (food enhancers have code numbers in the 600s) a collection of symptoms including headache, numbness and tingling that some people experienced after eating foods containing MSG.
Food colourings, adding or restoring colour to foods
Such as tartrazine (102), allura red (129) and panacea 4R (124), are often credited as the cause of hyperactivity in children. (artificial colours have code numbers in 100s)
