Enumbers in food are also known as “food additives.” They are various ingredients added to foods and drinks for different reasons. Some of them are from naturally occurring sources while some are synthetic.
Basically, these e-numbers are licensed by the European Union and are labeled from E100 to E1999. Outside the EU, they are licensed by regulating agencies such as the FDA in the U.S. These substances are utilized as preservatives, food colorings, color enhancers, thickeners, acidity regulators, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anti-caking agents, and other miscellaneous purposes. If they get to the supermarket, this only means that they are legal and deemed safe. However, this does not mean they are absolutely safe and can be consumed liberally as the consumers want.
Although not all of the food additives are harmful, a great number of them are known to cause some adverse reactions in people. Some of them have been found to have carcinogens or cancer-causing substances. Some of them may also cause other conditions such as allergies, breathing difficulties, and even misbehavior in children.
Children are more sensitive to e-numbers than adults primarily because of their young age. Since their immune system isn’t mature yet, they tend to react more sensitively to external substances. It was in the 1970s when the food additives were first associated with some allergic reactions in kids as well as some noticeable behavioral problems in them. Since then, many studies have strengthened these initial associations. The early findings become more and more accurate as time goes by.
One of the most commonly known adverse effects of e-numbers aside from food allergies is hyperactivity. Many parents have claimed that the snacks they give their children seem to stir something inside their kids that the latter became more active and harder to control. Some of the kids even had become impossible to handle that prescription medicines had to be given. Aside from hyperactivity, other problems linked to e-numbers are asthma, eczema, autism, palpitations, ear infections, headaches, seizures, and hives.
In the latest researches, the following e-numbers are especially recommended to be avoided by children:
The combination of Sodium Benzoate (E211) with any of the following:
- Allura Red (E129)—A red dye found in many sauces, soups, cider and wines.
- Tartrazine (E102)—A yellow dye mixed with edible products that typically come in the shades of yellow.
- Carmoisine (E122)—Found in yogurt, jams, jellies, and soup packets.
- Sunset Yellow (E110)—Also a form of dye used to color foods and is associated with retardation and weight loss.
- Quinoline Yellow (E104)—A synthetic yellow dye.
- Ponceau 4R (E124)—A form of synthetic dye used in a wide variety of drinks and snacks.
These days, it may come quite hard to find products in the shelves without an e-number or two. Additives have become a normal part of the food industry. If you are a parent though, it is your role to only give what’s best for your family. If non-additive snacks are not available in the supermarket, you better make some yourself. Remember, you can always create healthy snacks from natural produces like fruits and vegetables. It’s high time to go natural!
