Recent studies have reported the effects of E numbers on children. Give your kids healthier options by knowing what to watch out for and using our handy additive-free shopping list.
Food additives - those exotic words on labels that we skip over because we don't quite know what they are - have long been something we have learned to live with, albeit grudgingly. However, recent research has linked common food additives - such as colourings, flavourings and preservatives - with behavioural problems in children, such as temper tantrums, hyperactivity and even changes in I.Q.
Over the past decades, the more widespread use of food additives has also been linked to increases in cases of eczema, asthma, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and various cancers, according to Nick Giovanelli of the Hyperactive Children's Support Group (HACSG).
The best way to avoid these issues, experts say, is to use unprocessed whole foods, shopping as one would have in the mid-20th century and cooking from scratch. But let's face it -- in today's do-it-all busy world, parents need ready-to-serve options. Children's snacks are often the worst culprits when it comes to harbouring potentially harmful additives. So how do you find additive-free foods that will give you some peace of mind?
Know the enemy
Finding food that's completely free of additives is not an easy task. Most prepared food in the supermarket has at least one additive -- for example, many jams have added pectin to help give them texture. And some additives are more nefarious than others: pectin, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, lecithin and others are considered 'lesser evils,' says Giovanelli, because they occur in nature and don't require complex processes to extract them and add them to foods. However, the methods used to obtain even 'natural' additives can be questionable; some 'natural' additives may be synthetic, come from animal sources or even GM (genetically modified) sources. Your best bet is to aim to avoid them all.
There are thousands of known food additives, but only 311 currently approved for use in food across the EU, according to the Food Additives and Ingredients Association. These include colourings, flavourings, preservatives and sweeteners, plus thickeners, acidity regulators, antioxidants and emulsifiers.
Below are some common one to watch for, with their common name. Manufacturers can put either the E-number or the additive name on labels. (For a comprehensive list of E-numbers, go to http://www.faia.org.uk/enumbers.php):
E160b - Annatto
E1400 - Dextrin
E967 - Xylitol
E950 - Acesulfame K
E951 - Aspartame
E954 - Saccharin
E420 - Sorbitol
E415 - Xanthan gum
E330 - Citric acid
E407 - Carrageenan
E410 - Locust bean gum
E322 - Lecithin
E202 - Potassium sorbate
E220 - Sulphur dioxide
E250 - Sodium nitrite
E260 - Acetic acid
E300 - Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
E440 - Pectin
The safer grocery list
Despite this daunting list, it is possible to find foods you can feel better about. A few rules to follow:
- Pick plain varieties over flavoured, whether you're buying crisps, yogurts, crackers and so on
- Pick foods that aren't 'long life': look for short sell-by dates
- Go 'upscale': cheaper foods tend to pack in more additives than gourmet versions
- Look at organic varieties: these products tend to be geared towards a pickier buyer looking for purer foods
- Don't depend on 'kid' varieties: these foods tend to have more added colourings, flavourings and texturisers to make them more appealing to children
- Don't take 'Free from' labelling as an absolute sign it's a pure product. If it's free from artificial colours and preservatives, it may still have emulsifiers, stabilisers or acidity regulators
- Always read all the ingredients. Look for E-numbers, or complex-sounding ingredients that aren't things you could find on your kitchen cabinets
49 additive-free snacks and foods
The items below are commonly found to contain no additives. However, some brands or varieties may have one additive or more, while others have none. Even dried fruits can contain humectants to keep them moist. Always read the label. [Most products listed can be found from good supermarkets or healthfood shops [?] ]
Fruit snacks
- Fresh fruit
- Raisins and sultanas
- Dried figs, mangos, dates
Vegetable snacks
- Fresh baby carrot sticks
- Fresh pea pods
- Fresh baby corn
- Canned baby corn in water
- Canned corn kernels, carrots, peas, or beans in water (no added sugar or salt)
- Green olives
Sweet snacks
- Some yogurt drinks
- Some yogurts, such as Total Greek yogurt
- Sainsbury's All Butter Shortbread Fingers
- Some biscuit varieties from Duchy Originals
Savoury snacks
- Plain corn tortilla chips
- Plain potato crisps (including kettle crisps)
- Plain frozen roast oven potatoes
- Plain nuts (not dry-roasted or honey-roasted)
- Cauldron Foods Organic Tofu Pieces
- Plain hoummous
- Mozzarella cheese
- Doritos salsas
- Carr's Table Water biscuits
- Kallo Primo D'Oro Thin Breadsticks
- Sainsbury's Italian Sesame Seed Grissini Breadsticks
- Nairns wholemeal crackers
- Plain matzo crackers
- Plain pretzels (unsalted or lightly salted)
- Whole Earth original peanut butter
- Duerr's peanut butter, smooth and crunchy varieties, available in some stores and online at www.duerrs.co.uk
Breakfast foods
- Jordans Country Crisp Luxury Raisins cereal
- Jordans Special Muesli cereal
- Ready Brek (plain)
- Jordans Porridge Oats
- Other brands of plain Scottish porridge oats
- Weetabix (plain)
- Kellogg's Rice Krispies
- Plain puffed wheat cereal
- Grape-nuts
- Quaker Oat Krunchies
- McVities McV a:m fruit & nut muesli fingers
- Jordan's Crunchy Honey & Almond bars
- Some Quaker bars
- Oxfam Fair Trade cocoa
- Duchy Originals and Wilkin & Sons Ltd. Jams
Other foods
- John West, Brunswick, and Princes brands canned sardines and other canned fish packed in vegetable oil or spring water (beware 'ready-to-go' preseasoned varieties)
- Plain ramen noodle packages with separate flavour packet (prepare without packet)
- Plain pitta bread