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    Additives to Avoid

    The following additives may cause health problems such as allergies, asthma, hyperactivity, birth defects and cancer.

    • Ill effects are linked to many of these additives in human trials and animal tests.
    • Additives are not required to be tested in real-life cocktails in which we eat them.
    • Doses allowed do not take into account a child's greater intake for their body weight.
    • Research on addictive aspartame and MSG associates them with potential brain damage and effects ranging from mild and transitory to debilitating or life-threatening.

    Colours
    102 tartrazine
    104 quinoline yellow
    110 sunset yellow
    122 azorubine, carmoisine
    123 amaranth
    124 ponceau, brilliant scarlet
    127 erythrosine
    129 allura red
    132 indigotine, indigo carmine
    133 brilliant blue
    142 green S, food green, acid brilliant green
    151 brilliant black
    155 brown, chocolate brown
    160b annatto, bixin, norbixin
    173 aluminium

     

    Antioxidants
    310-312 all gallates
    319 TBHQ
    320 butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
    321 butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

     

    Flavours
    Approx 3000 permitted, untested and unregulated. Artificial and natural are both suspect. Some may contain MSG (621) or free glutamate.
    '…flavouring' implies artificial, 'flavoured with …' implies natural.

    Flavour enhancers
    620-625 glutamic acid and all glutamates, incl.
    621 monosodium glutamate (MSG) which may be disguised as hydrolysed protein, yeast extract, sodium or calcium caseinate. See www.truthinlabeling.org 
    627 disodium guanylate
    631 disodium inosinate
    635 ribonucleotides

     

    Preservatives
    200-203 sorbic acid, potassium & calcium sorbates
    210-213 benzoic acid, sodium, potassium & calcium benzoates
    220-228 sulphur dioxide, all sulphites, bisulphites, metabisulphites
    249-252 all nitrates & nitrites
    280-283 propionic acid, sodium, potassium & calcium propionates

     

    Artificial sweeteners
    950 acesulphame potassium
    951 aspartame
    952 sodium or calcium cyclamate
    954 saccharin
    955 sucralose
    961 neotame

     

    Updated October 2007

    For more information also see: the book "The Chemical Maze" by Bill Statham, www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info http://www.mbm.net.au/health/guide.htm, www.mpwhi.com and www.holisticmed/aspartame on aspartame, www.nzfsa.govt.nz (for a list of permitted additives), additive info: www.greens.org.nz

    Safe Food Campaign Inc
    PO Box 9206
    Wellington 6141
    Ph (04) 476 8607
    Email alison@safefood.org.nz