Food additives & healthy eating

As a standard, food additives come in many different forms. Some of the best known include preservatives, colours and flavours, such as sweeteners.

Food additives are generally considered to be any substance added to food to help it maintain quality, taste, and texture. These chemicals have grown enormously as part of the Western diet as we consume more and more processed food.

While food additives help to preserve food and reduce the chances of food poisoning from eating what is no longer fresh, they are also thought to potentially cause harm to our bodies.

There is considerable debate over how much of a negative impact the different chemicals added to foods can have. While the Food Standards Agency points out that all these substances must pass scientific tests to ensure they are not damaging to human health, others continue to express concern over their effects on certain people. Some are thought to cause hyperactivity in children.

Hyperactive children typically have short attention spans as well as being excitable and aggressive. The causes of hyperactivity are not fully understood but some research has shown that changing a child's diet can, in some cases, help to solve the problem. Other reactions to preservatives that have been reported include asthma and other allergic reactions. The debate is complicated by the fact that not all of us respond to either natural food or chemicals in the same way. If you know you are sensitive to allergies, it's probably worth paying attention to what has been added to your food. Also, while processed food is not necessarily harmful, it's important to include some fresh food in order to have a balanced diet.