Colouring Additives

More research data in from the UK confirms the beneficial changes that can be brought about simply by cutting out foods that contain flavor enhancing and coloring additives, reports the London Daily Mail.

Pupils who cut out artificial food additives can concentrate better in class, teachers have discovered. They are calmer and work better when chemical flavor enhancers and colorings are removed from their diet. Parents found their children were able to sleep better too. Teacher Ann Fitzgerald spearheaded the scheme at St. Barnabas Church of England First & Middle School in Drakes Broughton, Worcestershire.

Mrs. Fizgerald had been surprised by the number of hidden additives in foods such as gravy, sauces and bacon. The ban is now implemented. The school serves white custard for school meals instead of coloured yellow custard. Head teacher Charles Lupton said, "We are so convinced of the negative effects of food additives that we are very keen for other parents to be aware of our findings."

Teachers at Tywardreath Primary School in St. Austell, Cornwall noticed an improvement after parents stopped "E-numbers" for a week. (See discussion of E-numbers below.) Children were calmer, less argumentative, with greater concentration spans. This confirms the United Kingdom's Food Commission study last month showing the additives which are in hundreds of foods can cause tantrums and disruptive behaviour.

E-numbers are numerical designations which have been developed within the European Community (EC) for declaration of foodstuff additives. Lists of E-numbers are available on many websites, including:

http://www.elc-eu.org/approved.htm

The list includes dozens of approved food colorings. A glance at a few of the names should be enough to give us second thoughts about feeding these substances to children (or ourselves!):

E133 Brilliant Blue FCF
E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins
E150a Plain Caramel
E150b Caustic sulphite caramel
E150c Ammonia caramel
E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel
E151 Brilliant Black BN, Black BN
E171 Titanium dioxide
E172 Iron oxides and hydroxides
E173 Aluminum
E174 Silver
E175 Gold

The list includes at least twelve approved sweeteners. Saccharin and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts are classified as E954. Aspartame is E951. According to www.truthinlabeling.org, Aspartame contains aspartic acid and L-cysteine, neurotoxic amino acids as potent or more potent than the neurotoxic glutamic acid found in MSG. People who react to processed free glutamic acid (MSG) typically react similarly to aspartame, and vice versa.