Labels for additives 'hoodwink' confused shoppers( outstanding !)

February 9, 2004

the"looking good enough to eat section was great!!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8122-990130,00.html

Health news

February 05, 2004 Labels for additives 'hoodwink' confused shoppersBy Valerie Elliott, Consumer Editor

MANUFACTURERS hoodwink shoppers over the amount of additives they put in food and drink products with a confusing array of labels, food campaigners claim. They say that lists of ingredients on some labels resemble “a chemistry experiment rather than something you would want to eat”.

The Consumers’ Association is demanding new rules to ensure that all additives used in foods — sweeteners, colouring, flavouring and thickeners — are clearly marked. It is concerned that people who try to avoid certain additives, usually for health reasons, find it impossible to spot them. In a survey of 2,000 people, a third said that they tried to avoid additives but could never find them on lists of ingredients. According to the association, some people research the E numbers they wish to avoid, such as E211, only to read on the label “sodium benzoate”, which is the same thing but which they do not recognise.Even more confusing is a mixture of additive names and E numbers. A product may contain the name of an emulsifier such as xanthan gum, which is used to bulk up food, while next to it may appear E621, which means monosodium glutamate, an additive which can trigger reactions ranging from breathlessness to numbness and flushing. An investigation in the latest edition of the consumer magazine Which? found that hundreds of additives are approved for use in a range of popular foods. Their uses include achieving brighter colours and making products safer, tastier, juicier, smoother, sweeter or longer-lasting. The association says: “Despite the safety checks there are still claims that some additives can lead to particular health problems.” It is concerned by recent studies that show a link between hyperactivity and temper tantrums in children and their consumption of certain colourings and flavourings. These findings are not conclusive, however, and further research has been ordered by the Food Standards Agency. Concern about the effects of additives led recently to the recall from supermarkets and corner shops of a range of products that contained an Indian chilli powder incorporating a red dye known as Sudan I. The dye is banned from food production in Europe because it is linked with cancer. A recent survey of Indian restaurants in one part of the country also found that 60 per cent of tikka masala dishes contained levels of colouring above the legal limit. The Consumers’ Association accepts that additives are essential to provide safe, convenient food all year round, but it challenges the need for additives just to make food more colourful, to replace “real” ingredients or to make junk food seem more healthy and appealing. The association believes that it is important to have clearer labels so that shoppers can properly compare food products. The Which? investigation concludes: “There are still health concerns about certain additives and our survey shows that it is all too easy to consume them unwittingly. We would like to see one clear labelling system for additives. “We are also concerned about the number of cases of food and drink exceeding the permitted level of additives. Manufacturers need to take steps to ensure they always stick to the rules.” The campaign for clearer labelling is supported by organisations such as the National Consumers’ Council (NCC), the independent Food Commission and the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group. Ed Mayo, chief executive of the NCC, said: “Nowadays people need a top-grade A-level science and to go shopping with a magnifying glass in their back pocket to interpret all the information on food labels.” A spokeswoman for the Food Commission said that it had been campaigning for a long time for more information about additives and better labels. It had even produced a book, Dump the Junk, which offers advice to parents concerned about the food their children eat. Martin Paterson, deputy director-general of the Food and Drink Federation, which represents food companies and processors, said that the use of additives was subject to strict safety controls. “Additive labelling is governed by the EU labelling directive. However, British manufacturers are always looking at the best way to provide product information within these constraints. Further information is often provided via leaflets, customer care lines and websites.” He said that manufacturers often had to convey a lot of information on a very small label and it was sometimes easier to use simple descriptions with numbers rather than complex names.

LOOKING GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

E621, monosodium glutamate, sometimes MSG: a flavour enhancer. Batchelors barbecue beef flavour Super Noodles lists E621 but Walkers tangy cheese flavour Doritos lists monosodium glutamate. Uses: sausages, packet soups, sauces, waffles and noodles. Sources: naturally in Japanese seaweed; commercially from sugar beet pulp and wheat gluten. Effects: linked to palpitations, redness, dizziness, numbness, nausea, migraine, weakness of the upper arms and neck pain.

Tartrazine, E102: gives a yellow/orange colour. Uses: fizzy drinks, marzipan, tinned peas, cakes and sweets. Effects: may cause a reaction in people sensitive to aspirin or in asthmatics such as skin rashes, hay fever, breathing problems, blurred vision and purple patches. May cause wakefulness in children.

E104, quinoline yellow: common food colouring Uses: smoked haddock and Scotch eggs. Sources: a synthetic coal tar dye Effects: can be dangerous to asthmatics or those sensitive to aspirin.

Aspartame, E951: an intense low-calorie sweetener, sweeter than sugar. Uses: crisps, fizzy drinks, soups, toothpaste and medicines.Effects: linked to brain tumours, headaches, seizures and dizziness. The European Commission has deemed it safe. Only dangerous if someone drank 14 cans of a drink sweetened with aspartame. Amounts used are not included on labels so intake cannot be monitored.

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