Additives: Food Contamination

There is no denying the fact that we live in a toxic world, constantly bombarded with radiation, radioactive fallout, industrial waste, pesticide residues, PCB’s, flame retardant chemicals and the list goes on seemingly ad infinitum. The water we drink, the air we breathe and even the foods we eat are often polluted to some degree. Is it any wonder that rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and suicide are escalating each year, especially in children?

Of course there are many factors that contribute to these increases, not the least of which is the part played by the adulteration of foods by the deliberate addition of synthetic chemicals. This last one is at least an area where the average person can make a positive difference with a little bit of knowledge and the determination to act.

Here, I am talking about food additives, many of which are synthetic chemicals foreign to the human body. Some additives act as preservatives, but many others are added just to make foods more attractive and palatable to the consumer. Most additives have no beneficial effects on health. However, far from being benign, some play a significant role in contributing to ill health. Some of the toxic effects known to be caused or exacerbated by certain food additives include headaches, asthma, skin rashes, dermatitis, hyperactivity, learning difficulties, aggressive behaviour, stomach upsets and fatigue. Certain additives have also been shown to be toxic to the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular system, immune system, respiratory organs and nervous system. And it’s not just "little Johnny’s mum down the street" who is making these claims. Eminent and respected scientists, health professionals, toxicologists and health researchers have been providing documented evidence of adverse health effects of food additives for decades.

The obvious question now is; why are these questionable substances allowed in our foods in the first place? The answer is in itself the subject of an entire article. Suffice it to say that big business, patent rights, politics, huge profits,inadequate testing and the public relations industry all feature prominently.

There is, of course, an approval process that any additive or ingredient must undergo before it is allowed in our foods. In Australia and New Zealand the authority that oversees this process is Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). According to FSANZ all food additives are stringently tested before approval is given for their use in foods and they are only allowed at "levels considered safe". Levels considered safe in Australia may be, and often are, different from other countries. The approval process also relies on the information provided by the manufacturer. There is little if any independent testing of food additives. It has been shown in the past that some manufacturers are not beyond concealing or altering data that may hinder the approval of an additive.

Once an additive is approved it is pretty much here to stay. As Ross Hall Hume, PhD Professor Emeritus said in the foreword to Hard to Swallow – The Truth About Food Additives1 in reference to the Canadian regulators "….if you try to prove an additive unsafe, you have as much hope of success as climbing Mt Everest in your underwear". It seems people have to literally "drop dead in the street" before an additive will be considered for removal.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), depending on your point of view, most people don’t usually succumb to the toxic effects of certain food additives immediately upon their consumption. The more likely scenario is that only a small ‘insignificant percentage’ of the population will have an immediate adverse reaction to a particular additive. This reaction is however significant to the individual involved, and may even be life threatening, as is the case with anaphylaxis. The sulphite and benzoate preservatives are known to provoke anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock and must be avoided by susceptible individuals. However, no warnings are required on labels alerting people to this possibility. Furthermore, there exists a "5% loophole" whereby manufacturers can withhold listing an additive in an ingredient if that ingredient comprises 5% or less of the product. So if you are allergic to a particular additive you may not be able to tell, by looking at the label, if that additive is present or not.

Many adverse reactions to food additives do not occur at the time of consumption. Several hours and sometimes days may elapse before symptoms appear. Flavoured crisps eaten on Monday may result in reactionary symptoms appearing later in the week. This has the effect of muddying the waters, making it difficult to see a connection. A carefully controlled elimination diet is one way of discovering the offender.

What concerns me more however, are the insidious long-term effects that synthetic additives may have. Some food additives have been shown to be mutagens, teratogens and/or carcinogens. A mutagen is any chemical that causes permanent changes to genetic material (DNA) such that those changes are passed on to future generations. A teratogen is a chemical substance that causes adverse effects on the development of a foetus. A carcinogen is any chemical substance capable of causing cancer. Several additives permitted for use in Australia are banned in other countries because they have been shown to have these potentials!

While most people won’t necessarily notice any significant adverse effects from food additives, there may in fact be a subtle decline in the quality of health. Weight gain, tiredness, memory lapses, lingering colds, headaches and skin irritations may be caused by food additives. Changing to a diet of organic meats, fruits and vegetables and eliminating processed foods may be a way of determining if additives are the problem.

Each year more people, especially children, join the ranks of those adversely affected by food additives. Additives of particular concern are the colourings, flavour enhancers, preservatives and artificial sweeteners. As was mentioned earlier, certain additives permitted in foods in Australia are banned in other countries including the USA. For example, of the thirty or so colours permitted in foods and beverages, at least nineteen are banned or have restrictions placed on their use in other countries. Some have been shown to cause cancer in animal studies. Most colourings are synthetic and are derived from coal tar. Coal tar itself is a known carcinogen.

I suspect that a major contributing factor in the worldwide obesity epidemic is the over-indulgence in processed foods. While providing little or no nutritional value, these foods may actually be counter-nutritive. As a result, the body is actually starving. The hunger results in the consumption of ever increasing amounts of these so-called ‘plastic’ foods, creating a downward spiral into disease and eventual destruction. If this did turn out to be the case, then the term starvation would take on a whole new meaning.

There is undeniable proof that certain food additives can be detrimental to health. In the light of this, if we wish to be in control of our health then we will need to take the view that until something has been proved beyond any doubt to be safe, we should assume it might be harmful and avoid it. When it comes to healthy eating, there are plenty of safer alternatives to choose from without overloading our bodies with over-processed, over-refined, over-adulterated foods loaded with additives with no nutritional value. To reiterate what I said at the beginning, all that’s required is a little knowledge and the determination to act. The price of ignorance and apathy can be very high indeed.

Bill Statham is the author of the bestseller The Chemical Maze 2nd edition – Your Guide to Food Additives and Cosmetic Ingredients

1. Sarjeant, Doris and Evans, Karen "Hard to Swallow - The Truth About Food Additives". Alive Books Vancouver