This month we are going to delve deeper into food labels and look at some of the additives you will find in everyday supermarket products.
It is a sad fact of our modern day that food is no longer grown, but manufactured. Food manufacturing is BIG BUSINESS and convenience and variety is winning out over fresh, seasonal and minimally processed.
It is important to note that not all additives are bad. Many are there to prevent food from decaying and stop bacteria from growing. However…of the more than 300 permitted additives in Australia, at least 30 are known or suspected carcinogens!
This is a huge topic. I highly recommend getting Julie Eady’s Additive Alert if you would like to delve deeper (available in the clinic and where much of this information comes from)
What the numbers mean.
250, 251 – Nitrates and Nitrites
- Used to preserve meats (what’s wrong with good ol’ salt?) – think ham, salami.
- Prevents bacteria that causes botulism
- Shown to increase risk of cancer in animals (no human studies to prove – personally I don’t like to think of myself as a food manufacturer’s walking lab rat….)
- Can cause laboured breathing – infants are particularly susceptible
- Best consumed with antioxidants (e.g fresh squeezed orange juice) to potentially reduce harmful effects.