Ever skimmed through the ingredients on your packet of Smarties, and wondered what all those little ‘E’s mean? We have. And we’ve also wondered whether those people who stand around the grocery store isles inspecting food-labels are really being pedantic, or actually in on something we’re not. After all, why is it there’s a fad now for food products that boast of containing no ‘E-numbers’? Well it appears there’s enough evidence to suggest that a great deal of additives in our food are best avoided. To get a better idea, we spoke to Archana Viswambharan. Archana is a resident nutritionist at BiteRite –the healthy eating community which runs a café (the Bite Rite Resto Café), delivers meals to 5 hospitals across the capital, and works to raise awareness of healthy eating habits through events, and monthly cooking classes.
So what are E numbers?
They’re a number codes for food additives that have been assessed for use within the European Union (the ‘E’ prefix stands for ‘Europe’). They are commonly found on food labels. In casual language in the UK and Ireland, ‘E-number’ is used as a pejorative term for artificial food additives. Products may promote themselves as ‘free of E-numbers’ even though most natural ingredients contain components that also have an E-number, such as vitamin C (E300) or lycopene (E160d). It is impossible to live on a diet without any substances that have E-numbers. ‘Free of E numbers’ then simply means that pure forms of the substances are not intentionally added, even though identical substances certainly exist naturally in many foods.
Why are they added to our food?
E-numbers are added to food as colours, preservatives, flavour enhancers, emulsifiers, antioxidants, thickeners and as other ingredients to improve the overall sensory features of the food products.
Are they in all processed foods?
Yes, most processed foods contain some form of additives.
Are they all bad for you?
No E-number can be said to be accepted as ‘harmful.’ By definition, being an E-number means that it was deemed safe to consume by the European Food Safety Authority. However, no E-number can also be described as completely harmless.
Can you tell us what kind of health issues over consumption of the bad E-numbers can cause?
Over consumption of E-numbers causes hyperactivity in children, allergies, intolerances, gastro intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache, giddiness. Some E numbers like sodium sulphite, sometimes found in orange juice, also triggers asthma.
We’ve heard many not-nice things about MSG. Can you tell us a little about this?
Monosodium glutamate (MSG or E621) is normally a main ingredient in Chinese cuisine, and is used in processed foods, fast foods, baby food and more. MSG is the salt of glutamic acid, which is one of the non-essential amino acids that our bodies produce. Glutamic is known as an excitotoxin, which is something that excites the brain cells. It causes the brain cells to fire their impulses rapidly until they are exhausted, sometimes killing them. The effects of MSG can be worse in children (so most baby-food producers have stopped using this substance.) Where an adult might just get a headache, a child could develop behavioural problems and autism.
Can you tell us which E-numbers we should be avoiding specifically?
These are some that should be avoided, particularly by children:
• E102 – tartrazine. As well as hyperactivity, E102 has been linked to asthma and rashes. It’s commonly found in products such as biscuits.
• E110 – sunset yellow. In addition to hyperactivity and behaviour issues, E110 has also been linked to allergies and gastric upset. It’s found in products such as ice creams, drinks and sweets.
• E129 – allura red. This is best avoided if you suffer from asthma and other allergies. This is commonly found in products such as snacks, sauces, soups and soft drinks.
• E122 – carmoisine and E124 – ponceau 4R. These have been linked to allergies and intolerances. They are commonly found in ready meals, biscuits, sweets jelly and drinks.
• E104 – quinoline yellow. E104 has been linked to incidences of rashes and asthma. It’s found in products such as smoked haddock, pickle and sweets.
• E320 – Butylated Hydroxy-anisole (BHA). The International Agency for Research on Cancer says that BHA is possibly carcinogenic to humans. It also interacts with nitrates to form chemicals known to cause changes in DNA cells. It is commonly used as a preservative, and found in confectionary, fatty foods and meats.
