foods that contain salicylates

"After learning of Feingold's work and putting it into practice, however, Hertha [Hafer] became particularly suspicious of the effects of phosphoric acid. In The Hidden Drug, published in France and Germany, she detailed cases where behavioural problems disappeared once phosphates were withdrawn from the diet.

"She also suggested a simple kitchen remedy for hyperactivity which she claimed is almost as effective as a tablet of Ritalin - a teaspoon of cider vinegar mixed into a glass of water."

- "Hyperactivity & ADHD", from Superfoods for Children by Michael van Straten & Barbara Griggs.

the proof food additives ARE as bad as we feared

By SEAN POULTER

Parents have been warned to avoid artificial additives used in drinks, sweets and processed foods amid a link to behaviour problems in children.

A study funded by the government's Food Standards Agency(FSA) is understood to have drawn a link with temper tantrums and poor concentration. Researchers have found a definite link between additives and temper problems with children. There are also concerns about allergic reactions such as asthma and rashes.

The findings are potentially explosive for the entire food industry, which faces the need to reformulate a vast array of children's products. Vyvyan Howard, professor of bio-imaging at Ulster University and an adviser to the FSA, called on parents and manufacturers to protect children. He said: "It is biologically plausible that they could be having an effect. "Parents can protect their children by avoiding foods containing the additives. I personally do not feed these sorts of foods to my 15-month-old daughter."

He called on manufacturers and supermarkets to remove the additives on a precautionary basis.

He said: "It is the right thing to do to remove these additives from children's foods. They have no nutritional value, so why put them in? There are very tight restrictions banning these additives from foods designed for children under the age of one. But why stop there? Children's brains and nervous systems are developing beyond the age of one."

Prof Howard is not a member of the FSA committee assessing the latest research, however he did advise on how the study should be conducted. Experts on the FSA's Committee on Toxicity(CoT) are expected to say that parents who want to minimise any risk of an adverse reaction should avoid these additives.

Some leading companies have already responded to mounting evidence of harm caused by chemical additives, particularly the vivid colours used to dress up products. Smarties has dropped artificial colours with the result the blue variety has been axed. Sainsbury's recently announced a ban on artificial colours and flavours from 120 own label soft drinks. This follows similar moves by Marks & Spencer and the Co-op. The research, carried out by a team from Southampton University, appears to confirm earlier studies suggesting additives can cause reactions, either individually or as a cocktail.

The colours, tested on groups of three-year-olds and eight-to-nine year olds, were tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129). The team also looked at the effect of the preservative sodium benzoate (E211), which is commonly used in soft drinks. Precise details of the research findings are being kept secret until they can be peer reviewed and published in a scientific journal. However, a source at Southampton University told the food industry's magazine, The Grocer, that their results are in line with earlier findings, published in 2004. The original research, which took place on the Isle of Wight, involved giving fruit drinks to children aged three. In some weeks, these were laced with additives.

Parents reported changed behaviour when the youngsters were given the additives.

However, the original findings were questioned because they relied on anecdotal reports from parents while the fact the children were so young made it difficult to measure their behaviour in a meaningful way. Because of these doubts, a second tranche of research was commissioned following advice from an expert committee, which included Professor Howard. The Founder of the Hyperactive Children Support Group, Sally Bunday, said there is good evidence that artificial additives can have a harmful effect.

She said: "The consequences can be very serious for both children and adults who are sensitive to these artificial colours. The reaction in children can be horrendous in terms of mood swings with crying, screaming, inability to sleep. There can also be physical reactions such as difficulty in breathing on skin rashes. For a young person there is also a risk of quite angry mood swings."

The founder of the organic brand Organix, Lizzie Vann, has been campaigning for a ban on all artificial additives from children's food. "The use of artificial additives in children's foods means we are conducting a long-term experiment on our children's health," she said. "If the Government is serious about improving children's nutrition the ban on artificial food additives must be a priority."

The Food & Drink Federation, which speaks for manufacturers, said the colours and chemicals used by the industry are proven to be safe. "The use of food additives is strictly regulated under European law," it said. "They must be approved as safe by the appropriate European scientific committee before they can be used...Consumers' intake of food additives is also closely monitored. A recent European Commission report on 'Dietary Food Additive Intake' indicated that consumption of all types of additives was within the strict safety limits set by the legislation. Particular attention was given to consumption by children."

The FSA and Southampton University refused to comment until the research has been officially published. 

Copyright The Daily Mail, London, 2007

watchdog warns of E numbers that make children misbehave

by SEAN POULTER 

Additives in sweets can cause skin rashes and lead to difficulty in breathing.

Parents will be alerted this week to ensure children avoid artificial additives in drinks, sweets and processed foods because of explosive evidence about the effects on behaviour. A plausible connection to tantrums, poor concentration and slow progress at school is understood to have been found in a study to be published by the Government's Food Standards Agency.

Food industry leaders have been summoned to a meeting with the FSA today for a briefing on the research and its implications. The findings, from Southampton University, raise the possibility of parents suing food manufacturers in the same way tobacco firms have been pursued by cancer victims in the U.S.

The study could also mean the industry will have to reformulate a vast array of children's products.

Some supermarkets and manufacturers have pre- empted the study by announcing bans on suspect additives in sweets, cakes and soft drinks. The FSA has cloaked the findings in secrecy but its experts are expected to tell parents the only way to avoid any risk is to cut the additives from their children's diet.

Health campaigners, however, believe a more stringent legal ban is necessary. The risk of allergic reactions, such as breathing problems and asthma, from certain additives was established more than 20 years ago. There have been similar concerns about the impact on brain development but nothing strong enough to convince Whitehall's public health experts.

The Southampton research is expected to support the fears of Sally Bunday of the Hyperactive Children's Support Group. She said the reaction to the artificial chemicals could be "horrendous in terms of mood swings with crying, screaming, inability to sleep". She added: "There can also be physical reactions such as difficulty in breathing and skin rashes".

The additives may help explain the rise in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children. Some 359,000 prescriptions for ADHD prevention drugs are issued each year, up 90-fold since the early 1990s. Critics of food additives believe this disruptive behaviour can be cured by a return to natural food, rather than drugs.

Vyvyan Howard, professor of bioimaging at Ulster University and an adviser to the FSA, called for the additives to be removed on a precautionary basis. He said: "They have no nutritional value, so why put them in? There are very tight restrictions banning these additives from foods designed for children under the age of one. But why stop there? Children's brains and nervous systems are developing beyond the age of one."

Some companies have already acted. Marks & Spencer is removing all artificial colours and flavours from 99 per cent of products by the end of the year. Asda is doing the same with 9,000 own-label items, while Sainsbury's, Tesco and the Co- op have announced similar action. Nestle Rowntree, which makes Smarties, has dropped artificial colours with the result the blue variety has been axed.

The colours, tested on groups of three-year-olds and eight-to-nine year olds by the Southampton researchers, were tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129).

The team also looked at the effect of the preservative sodium benzoate (E211), which is commonly used in soft drinks.
The Food & Drink Federation, which speaks for manufacturers, said the colours and chemicals used by the industry were proven to be safe. "The use of food additives is strictly regulated under European law," it said. "They must be approved as safe by the appropriate European scientific committee before they can be used."

Copyright The Daily Mail 2007

If you are salicylate sensitive, avoid the following:

any type of salicylate:

Aspirin, Acetylsalicylic acid, Benzyl salicylate, Choline salicylate, Disalcid Ethyl salicylate, Isoamyl salicylate, Magnesium salicylate, Methyl salicylate, Octylsalicylate, Phenylethyl salicylate, Salicylate, Salicylic acid, Salicylaldehyde, Salicylamide, Salsalate, Sodium salicylate.

any mint or menthol product:

Mint, Peppermint, Spearmint, Menthol, Oil of wintergreen, all artificial food colourings.

watch these for cross-reactions:

Artificial flavourings, Food colours, Benzoates (preservatives), Beta-hydroxy acid, and ...

Patients often make the mistake of eating :

Typical unpleasant reactions to foods include:

With so many symptoms that could have other causes, it is often hard to be sure that food is to blame, or to find out which foods.

It is worth noting that people with a family history of eczema are more likely to have food intolerance problems.

If you notice a pattern of feeling ill after eating certain foods, consult your doctor.

Be prepared to be patient, because it isn't easy for doctors or scientists to pin down whether someone reacts badly to certain foods. There is no quick or completely reliable laboratory test.

Reactions to foods may only appear hours after eating, making it hard to link the two.

what are salicylates?

Salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in many fruits, and vegetables and act as preservatives to delay rotting.

The salicylate level in food can vary, with raw foods, dried foods and juices containing higher levels than the same cooked food.

Aspirin is a salicylate substance.

Salicylates are used in mint-flavoured products (sweets, biscuits, toothpaste, chewing gum), and in some artificial food colourings and flavourings.

what is salicylate sensitivity?

Some adults and children have a low level of tolerance to salicylate and may get symptoms which are dose-related.

The reactions are not allergies but an inability of the body to handle more than a certain amount at any one time.

The tolerated amount varies from one person to another.

what are the symptoms of intolerance?

salicylates, drugs and food chemicals

Intolerance of salicylates may be associated with intolerance of other chemicals - azo dyes and benzoates.

These may also need to be avoided - seek expert advice.

common dyes and benzoates

foods low in salicylates

fruit low in salicylates

vegetables low in salicylates

other foods low in salicylates

fruit moderate in salicylates

vegetables moderate in salicylates

other foods moderate in salicylates

fruit high in salicylates

vegetables high in salicylates

other foods high in salicylates

fruit very high in salicylates

vegetables very high in salicylates

other foods very high in salicylates

• Herbs & spices;
• white vinegar;
• Worcester sauce;
• tea;
• peppermint tea;
• rum; and
• liqueurs.

foods that kill and foods that heal

- Studies on diet, health, and behaviour
- Juices that help
- Flaxseed oil
- Asthma and diet

the dangers of sweeteners: avoid all "sugar free" products

- Aspartame: personal experiences