What is this project ? - The 'What Is Really In Our Food?' Project

What are your goals ? - This Project has one main goal, to inform YOU of what additives are in your food. How do they effect you ? Were you aware of this ? What are you going to do about it ?

What level project is this ? - This is a Level 1 project.

Who are the members ? - ProTo Fire Fox

Hello every one, my name is ProTo Fire Fox. Today ADVISOR gave me Scholar status so that i could inform YOU about what you are doing to your own body. I will make points about E numbers, what happens if you stop taking them, what they are in, how bad are they and most importantly, How do we stop.

I hope that you all enjoy reading what i am going to write.

ProTo FF



[edit on 14-3-2008 by ADVISOR]

List Of E Numbers

E102:
Formly known as Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow dye found in such products as fruit squash, fruit cordial, coloured fizzy drinks, instant puddings, cake mixes, custard powder, soups, sauces, ice cream, ice lollies, sweets, chewing gum, marzipan, jam, jelly, marmalade and mustard. E102 can cause some reactions, migraines, blurred vision, itching some purple skin patchs, it also makes children hyper active.

E104:
Quinoline Yellow is a synthetic 'coal tar' varying in colour between dull yellow and greenish-yellow. It is used in lip sticks, cologen and alot of other cosmetic products. It can cause dermatitis, and for these reasons it is banned in Australia, Japan, Norway and the United States.

E107:
Known as Yellow 7G some times is a yellow colour dye that is oftain found in soft drinks for children. The HACSG strongly recommends to avoid it, people who suffer Asthma may also show an allergic reaction to it. It is banned in Australia and the United States of America.

E110:
Sunset Yellow, FCF Orange Yellow S, FD&C Yellow 6 are soem of its names, this is one of the worst of the bunch, this is considered so dangerous that Norway and Finland will not let it any where near there people. A synthetic 'coal tar' and azo yellow dye used in fermented foods which must be heat treated. Found in orange squash, orange jelly, marzipan, Swiss roll, apricot jam, citrus marmalade, lemon curd, sweets, hot chocolate mix and packet soups, breadcrumbs, cheese sauce, ice cream, canned fish, and many medications.
Side effects are urticaria (hives), rhinitis (runny nose), nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, distaste for food; increased incidence of tumors in animals.

E122:
Azorubine ,Carmoisine. This chemical is a red colouring that can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; typical products are confectionary, marzipan, jelly crystals. This is banned in Sweden, USA, Austria and Norway.

E123:
Amaranth, derived from the small herbaceous plant of the same name; used in cake mixes, fruit-flavoured fillings, jelly crystals; can provoke asthma, eczema and hyperactivity; it caused birth defects and foetal deaths in some animal tests, possibly also cancer. Banned in the USA, Russia, Austria and Norway and other countries.

E124:
Ponceau, synthetic coal tar and azo dye, carcinogen in animals, can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in USA & Norway.

E127:
This E number is called Erythrosine, it is a red colour dye used in cherries, canned fruit, custard mix, sweets, bakery, snack foods; can cause sensitivity to light; can increase thyroid hormone levels and lead to hyperthyroidism, was shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats in a study in 1990; banned in January 1990, but not recalled by the US FDA; banned in Norway.

E129:
Named Allura red AC. Orange-red color used in sweets, drinks and condiments, medications and cosmetics, synthetic; introduced in the early eighties to replace amaranth which was considered not safe due to conflicting test results; allura red has also been connected with cancer in mice; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway. But lets take a guess where it is NOT banned, Uk ofcorse.

E132:
This chemical is Indigotine, it is commonly added to tablets and capsules; also used in ice cream, sweets, baked goods, confectionary, biscuits, synthetic coal tar derivative; may cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, skin rashes, breathing problems and other allergic reactions. Banned in Norway.

E133:
Brilliant blue is not as brilliant as you may think. It is used in dairy products, sweets and drinks, synthetic usually occurring as aluminium lake (solution) or ammonium salt; banned in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway.

Next Page....

[edit on 25-9-2007 by ProTo Fire Fox]

(Following from Last page)

E155:
Brown HT (Cocolate), as you can guess it is used in chocolate cake mixes; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; also known to induce skin sensitivity; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, USA, Norway.

E160(b):
Annatto is a red colour dye derived from a tree (Bixa orellana); used as a body paint, fabric dye, digestive aid and expectorant; used to dye cheese, butter, margarine, cereals, snack foods, soaps, textiles and varnishes; known to cause urticaria (nettle rash), the HACSG recommends to avoid it.

E173, E174 & E175:
Now i was surprised when i did some research and found out that they put those E numbers in food, 173 is aluminium 174 is silver and 175 is gold !, they put that in your food, any one heard of heavy metal posion ? Thats what may be caused from ingesting these E numbers.

They are merly a tiny percentage of the chemicals you eat, some of which you can see are very bad for Aspirin sufferers and Asthmatics. These are found in every day Foods that YOU eat and feed to your children.

Every Day House Hold Foods.

I thought that i would go for some of the every day use foods, like Bread for example.

Off the top of my knowledge i can think of 2 chemicals that really should NOT be in bread, these are.

Ammonium chloride
This is not a very nice chemical. It is usually listed as harmful if swallowed (oh, the irony). Of course, that's only for large quantities. It is used in batteries, as a fungicide on roses, as an anticaking agent, and as yeast food.

Calcium sulfate
Calcium sulfate is essentially plaster of Paris. Pretty much the same stuff that goes into dry walls.

Did you know that since 1950 some thing it has been common play to add in hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives, emulsifiers, additives and other chemicals. The bulk of which is bad for you.

Wheat flour was replaced by bleached, enriched white flour. In this process, grain is bleached and sterilized with chemicals to make it white and soft. It is then artificially "enriched" by adding vitamins, minerals and other materials destroyed in the chemical process.

This tainting of your bread with harmful, cancer causing chemicals such as potassium bromate, emulsifiers (both commonly used in bread production), and alum will jeporadize your health.

But if you want your bread to last a long time, is your health really such a high price to pay ? (first of many sarcasic questions to come.)

Every Day House Hold Foods.

Next target, cheese.

Most natural cheeses have very few additives. But they are permitted to contain salt, the curd forming enzyme, a microbiological culture, some flavourings, colours, calcium chloride to help firm the curd and sorbic acid as a preservative. Processed cheese and cream cheeses may also contain emulsifiers. Additives must be listed on the label.

E100: Cur cumin orange-yellow colour; derived from the root of the curcuma (turmeric) plant, but can be artificially produced; used in cheese, margarine, baked sweets and fish fingers.

E101: Riboflavin, Riboflavin-5'-phosphate 'Vitamin B2' and colour; occurs naturally in green veges, eggs, milk, liver and kidney; used in margarine and cheese.

Never stand alone. FSA.

I am not alone in the thoughts that Additves are very bad for our health, i am joined by the FSA (Food standards agency) they have said that a mix of these chemicals can be very dangerous. It has led the FSA to issue the advice to parents who believe their children to be hyperactive that they should cut out foods containing E numbers.

Scientists from the University of Southampton, who carried out research on three-year-old and eight-year-old children, believe that their findings could have a “substantial” impact on the regulation of food additives in Britain. But the FSA has been accused of missing an opportunity to protect children and all consumers by failing to impose a deadline on manufacturers to remove additives such as Sunshine Yellow and Tartrazine from their products.

After consuming the drinks – a cocktail of controversial E numbers and the preservative sodium benzoate – the children were found to become boisterous and lose concentration. They were unable to play with one toy or complete one task, and they engaged in unusually impulsive behaviour. The older group were unable to complete a 15-minute computer exercise.

As in the fore mentioned symtoms of chemicals, hyperactivity was a major problem. Food, the very basic princple of life is now bad for us, if you dont eat you die, if you eat, you die young.

A South Wales school went anti-additive for 2 weeks and the results were amazing. The children were more co-operative, the siblings stopped fighting and there were more harmonious families, also hyperactivity went down. They reported that the difficult children creared much less of a disturbance.

Food additives are a problem that we are more than aware of, our own goverments know that these chemicals are bad for us, yet they still allow us to eat them knowing that it is causing us damage.

Next time you buy some thing, have a look at the bad of the box and see whats in it, then think about eating those chemicals and what its doing to you. Is your childs asthma really bad ? It could be YOUR fault if your feeding him/she way to much of these additives.

Its time that we stood up against these big companys that are out to make money and hurt us. The basics of food now are no longer good for us, bread and cheese are bad.

Next time you are out shopping buy some organic food and some of this chemical food, eat them side by side and see what you think.

What else is there to eat then ProTo ?

There are a group of foods known as 'super food' this group of food is the best of the best when it comes to food, try to get these ingredients chemical free (Obviously).


Blueberries -- Antioxidant Superfood -- Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory.

Omega 3-Rich Fish -- Superfoods for the Heart, Joints, and Memory.
We know that the omega 3s you get in fish lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, and may possibly help with memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

Soy -- Superfood to Lower Cholesterol. A study reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association (2003) showed that a diet of soy fiber, protein from oats and barley, almonds, and margarine from plant sterols lowered cholesterol as much as statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol medicine.

Fiber -- Superfood Aids Weight Loss and Checks Cholesterol
A diet high in fiber will help you maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a bonus, because fiber helps you feel full longer, it’s a great tool in weight management.

There are alot more, too many to write in a post. Do a Google or Yahoo or what ever search engine you use, search for 'super foods'.

All additives in the UK and Europe are controlled by law, and can only be used following stringent tests and approval by an independent committee of scientists and medical experts.However, some scientists have linked additives - particularly tartrazine or E102 - to hyperactivity in children, allergies, asthma, migraines and even cancer. The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) believes more research is needed before any firm link is established between additives and allergic reactions. But it does not rule out the possibility.Sarah Schenker, a nutrition scientist for the BNF, said: "Some additives, especially some of the colourants, have been linked with hyperactivity in children, but the evidence is very ancedotal."There have been no properly controlled trials or tests looking at the effect of additives. "The public should not be worried about additives because they have all been rigorously tested before they are allowed to be added to foods." Dr Schenker said that if people noticed a reaction they should simply cut the offending item out of their diet. However, according to The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a US organisation that campaigns for food safety, many additives should be avoided for health grounds.

Hemp Seeds

There are many reasons why Hemp seeds are a great super food. They are very much alike walnuts and nuts in the sence that they are rich in Omega-3.

Omega-3 is a substance that the body needs, it can help prevent Heart Disease, cancars and strokes. Hemp seeds are great because they can go with so many different types of food, you can have soem with your cereal, or with pancakes or even baked goods.

Hemp seed is cheap to buy in bulk and is 100% super food.

(Thank you to dAlen for making me aware of Hemp Seeds)

Pesticides In Our Food.

To produce our food and to meet the appearance standards imposed by supermarkets, most farmers use chemical pesticides to control weeds, crop pests and diseases. Residues from the pesticides used may still be in the food when it gets into our homes and onto our plates. In some cases there will be residues of more than one pesticide.

In 1999 there was a test to show how many pesticides were found in fruit & veg.

1. Italy 7,938
   
2. Germany 6,617
   
3. France 4,553
   
4. Spain 3,325
   
5. Sweden 3,046
   
6. Finland 2,460
   
7. Denmark 2,287
   
8. Greece 1,422
   
9. Netherlands 1,419
   
10. UK 1,372
    
11. Belgium 1,035
    
12. Portugal 648
    
13. Austria 597
    
14. Ireland 232
    
15. Luxembourg 231
    

As you can see, there are alot of products that have pesticide residue on them, and most importantly YOU are eating them. Super-markets are meant to test for residue on there own products, but this is time and money so they do it, but not to the full standard that is meant to be achived. So they know it is there, but you dont.

Oranges are a nice simple fruit, with a secret. In a survey they gathered up many Oranges and then tested them for traces of pesticides. The results were staggering, over 79% of the amount sampled exceeded the safe limit of a chemcial called Imazalil.

Imazalil wad tested on animals and the following was some of the symtoms. Excitation of hair folicles (goose pimples), muscle incoordination, reduced arterial tension, tremors, and vomiting. If it does that to a little mouse, thats only a tiny bit conpared to the mouses body size, imagien what getting 10 oranges would do to us, even if it isnt obvious some thing may be going on beneth the surface.

Stevia

Stevia is a rather contraversal substance. It is called a dietry supplement yet it has a remarkble 'drug' ring to it. Infact the FDA is so confused by this ... thing, that they call it a deitry supplement but if you say it is sweet or a sweetner on the packaging, it gets seized as a drug. It is really a confusing subject.

A rather 'sweet' fact about Stevia is that it is 30x sweeter than suger. That must pack one hell of a punch if you take some.

The FDA, under pressure from the powerful sugar and artificial sweetener lobby, has issued a warning letter to Celestial Seasonings for using a popular natural sweetener in some of its teas. The letter indicates the FDA classifies the herb stevia as “unsafe”

Thats all the info i got at the moment, it seems to be hard to find. Ill add to this if i find more.

(Thank you to Scientist for making me aware of Stevia)

Coke, Pepsi. Youve Been Bad Boys & Girls.

In findings about Coke and Pepsi, the Centre for Science and Environment picked up three bottles each of 12 soft drink brands from Delhi and found they contained a ''deadly pesticide cocktail'' which exceeded European norms by around 11 to 70 times. But these do not breach Indian laws.

Rivals Coke and Pepsi, accused of ''double standards'', came together on Tuesday evening to challenge CSE's testing methods. They sought an independent scientific inquiry into the matter, while claiming that their products were safe and world-class. Our products are tested locally, in accredited labs, and internationally, said Coke and Pepsi chiefs Sanjeev Gupta and Rajeev Bakshi respectively. Both companies claim that they operate within European and American norms with ''top-grade testing, top-grade products''. Coke and Pepsi claim they conduct testing at every stage regularly. Even the government's Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) conducts tests, they claim. ''We have a strong set of regulations internally and externally,'' said Gupta.

Some of the other companys that were involved were, Fanta, Mirinda Orange, Seven Up, Limca, Blue Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi and Sprite. Might not sound to bad but too much of those chemicals can cause cancer, attack the nervous system, decrease the sperm count and cause birth defects. Bad times.

O and another thing ive foundout about there.

There is no legally-enforceable ''right'' to ''clean'' water.