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Food additives
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3742423.stm
Should artificial food colourings be banned. Given the evidence that they are detrimental to the health and wellbeing of a significant minority of children and young people?
my personal opinion is I definitely think artificial colourings should be banned, and I think artificial flavourings and sweetners should be controlled more strictly - not allowed in food aimed at children or young people, and more research - unbiased - should be done into their effects on both children AND adults. Somehow I just dont think there will be unbiased research though, and if there is proof that its harmful, it will all get hushed up by the big companies, especially in the case of sweetners.
Should artificial food colourings be banned. Given the evidence that they are detrimental to the health and wellbeing of a significant minority of children and young people?
my personal opinion is I definitely think artificial colourings should be banned, and I think artificial flavourings and sweetners should be controlled more strictly - not allowed in food aimed at children or young people, and more research - unbiased - should be done into their effects on both children AND adults. Somehow I just dont think there will be unbiased research though, and if there is proof that its harmful, it will all get hushed up by the big companies, especially in the case of sweetners.
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yes, yes, yes and yes
but it will sadly never happen. Its one of those (impossible) things were if consumer pressure was strong enough (and no one bought products like this), demand would fall.
but with "food" culture the way it is and the search for instant convenience, not to mention a desire to see food looking "a nice colour" the demand for the E's will never abate.
E for additives is a fine book on this subject.
Although I do think that food colouring should be more obvious as it's quite hidden and does have an affect on kids.
I think at the very least it should be banned in anything aimed at children.
And yes again. :yes:
Children's meals can be very high on fats, salts and sugars and anything that helps and encourages the parents to buy healthier foods is to be welcomed.
I was once watching a programme on the issue and they were talking about curries. I think the problem is being controlled now but some Indian restaurants were being very generous with artificial colourings. Apparently a chicken tikka masala should not be red at all but orange-ish, a bit like madras. So whenever you get served a bright-red masala (as I have several times), you know you're being pumped full of food colourings.
:rolleyes:
sugar natural? not these days
fat natural? well if passing hydrogen through crushed sunflower seeds is natural (not to mention the massive factory involved), then I suppose so
I try and avoid hydrogenated and trans fats where possible, theyre not natural and quite dangerous, but theres nothing wrong with sunflower oil in liquid form, just use it sparingly.
Im not as strict about it for myself, but I wont put margerine on my sons sandwiches for instance, he has real butter, which although is more fatty, its less processed and I think healthier.
I dont tend to buy white sugar either, as its just empty calories and highly processed. I try and buy unrefined brown sugar as at least its got some of the goodness left in it. Thats my concession.
that aint crazy, you sound like a good mum
Yup. My mate showed it to me on his internet phone in the pub. I was seriously shocked.
Which kind of fats and sugar has nothing to do with the point.
EIther way, I can't see why anyone would be for the additives.
One effect may be to make production cheaper, banning additives may increase the price, not a good thing.......
For artificial colourings the only supposed `benefit` is to make the food brighter and more attractive. There is no good reason to play with peoples health just for it to look a certain colour.
Other additives have different reasons, and I think their use should be restricted and closely monitored. Sweetners are cheaper than sugar and thats why all `value` fizzy drinks and squashes are sugar free. Its not because they care about our teeth, its because theyre so much cheaper. They each have their own list of alarming side effects, but I think they have their place, but should NEVER be used in food or drinks aimed at children. There should also be warnings on the lables of other foods.
artificial flavourings - whats the point. why cant they use natural flavours - oh yes, its to do with big food giants making more profit at the expense of our health. use strawberry flavour instead of strawberries - why?????? If you want strawberry flavour, eat a strawberry.
Its sooooo hard to buy food that doesnt have additives in it unless I want to make everything from scratch. These days people dont have the time to do that every day, and some people dont do it at all. All convenience food is full of E numbers, preservatives, colours, flavourings etc, and its the poorer people that suffer especially if theyre not educated about it. For instance I was in tescos and I was looking at the ready made frozen pizzas, I looked at the mini cheese and tomato ones. The own brand ones had a minimum of 5% cheese or something like that, but the Value range had a cheese and tomato FLAVOUR topping
:eek2: and the list of ingredients was about 3 times as long as for the generic branded one, mostly unpronouncable ingredients. Its a joke. It might taste OK, but at what cost? its just a huge chemical mixture that we dont know what it does, most of its not even food, just additives.
But is there actually proper proof that all these chemicals etc. are that bad for you? All food is vetted by standards agencies isn't it? If it were dangerous then would it be allowed or is it the case that any danger is so miniscule it isn't worth bothering?
read rise and shines link, or this one,
or this
or the independent
BBC news
My own son goes completely up the wall if he has pink or purple food colourings, I havent pinpointed what exact one it is, but he had a single blackcurrant opal fruit one afternoon, and he was just a complete wildchild for the rest of the day, he was also the same after raspberry ripple ice cream.
Used to - but they don't anymore.....
although it is the only snack that specializes in washing degegents! scared yet!
Actully the "atdictive" thing is not a first.... roll up tobaccao once had very small shards of glass in it to make small cuts in the back of your thought to make the nictoene get intotyour system quicker.....
and then there is theory that Cola (pepsi or coke I can't remember) used to have a mild derivitve of morphine in it... nice!
I might want to CHOOSE to eat a big fatty burger, followed by chips and swilled down with a couple of liters of suggary bubbly drink.... thats my choice isn't it?
I think that there should be bans on direct marketing towards kids - but us adults should be able to make up our own minds. What I would ask for is a sensible, un-ambiguos way of displaying sugar/fat etc information on packets - and then it up to us.
One day we must take responsibility for our own actions.
Used to have ingridients in it, from the same plant as they derive cocaine. Hence the name Coca...
Butter is (according to my medic friends) actually heathier than margerine.
Likewise naturally occuring sugars are much healthier than artificial sweetners so "diet coke" is far worse for you than regular coke.
chinese people in my uni halls have giant s bags of the sutff
I read the following in the Guardian and switched straight back to butter - :yuck: