We add chemicals to foods to make them look more appealing. We have made food packaging to keep food fresh. We add chemicals to lotions and beauty products to make them feel, look, and smell nice We did all of it for what seemed like good reasons at the time, but we are learning that many of those chemicals can cause real harm.
In a policy statement entitled Food Additives and Child Health , the American Academy of Pediatrics warns about these harms — and points out that they often are worse for children. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.
Probably not. Yet additive-laced processed foods have become more American than apple pie. Food that is processed has been altered, in some way, from its natural state. Most foods require them to prevent spoilage and maintain their nutritional value. In fact, the U. Food additives are chemicals added to foods to keep them fresh or to enhance their colour, flavour or texture. They may include food colourings such as tartrazine or cochineal , flavour enhancers such as MSG or a range of preservatives.
Most food additives are listed on the product label, along with other ingredients, in a descending order by weight flavours are an exception and do not need to be identified.
Sometimes, the additive is spelt out in full. At other times, it is represented by a code number: for example, cochineal may be listed as Colouring ; sodium sulphite may be shown as Preservative All food additives used in Australia undergo a safety assessment, which includes rigorous testing, before they are approved.
Toxicological tests on animals are used to determine the amount of the additive that is expected to be safe when consumed by humans. If there is any doubt over the safety of an additive, approval is not given. If new scientific information becomes available suggesting that a food additive is no longer safe, the approval to use the food additive would be withdrawn.
Most food additives are tested in isolation, rather than in combination with other additives. The long-term effects of consuming a combination of different additives are currently unknown. Some people are sensitive to particular food additives and may have reactions like hives or diarrhoea. Many of the food additives used by the food industry also occur naturally within foods that people eat every day.
For example, MSG is found naturally in parmesan cheese, sardines and tomato in significantly greater quantities than the MSG present as a food additive.
People with food allergies and intolerances are also often sensitive to chemicals found naturally in certain foods, such as nuts or shellfish. Many people view food additives as a major food threat. However, in terms of health risk, food additives would come in at the end of the line, after food-borne microorganisms like salmonella , inappropriate hygiene and eating habits, environmental contaminants and naturally occurring toxins.
There is a common misconception that processed foods automatically contain food additives. Foods like long-life milk, canned foods and frozen foods are all processed, yet none of them need extra chemicals. If you are unsure whether or not a product contains an additive, check the label. However, some listed ingredients may contain food additives without mentioning them on the label. For most people, additives are not a problem in the short term.
However, 50 of the currently approved additives in Australia have been associated with adverse reactions in some people. Some food additives are more likely than others to cause reactions in sensitive people. It is often the additives that are used to give a food a marketable quality, such as colour, that most commonly cause allergic reactions.
Some of these hypersensitive reactions include:. It is important to realise that many of the symptoms experienced as a result of food sensitivities can be caused by other disorders. Medical diagnosis is important.
0コメント