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Tag Archives: preservatives
Children’s toothpaste – what do you choose?
The toothpaste section of the supermarket seems to continue to expand, and one area where this is particularly obvious is in the area of children’s toothpaste. I recently compared two brands of children’s toothpaste to see how they differed in terms of claims and ingredients. Read More…
Food additive dangers explained – Natural Therapy pages talks to Bill Statham, author of The Chemical Maze
Food additive dangers are explained in a pocket guidebook and iPhone application that lists a comprehensive range of additives, their common ailments and health concerns. Read More…
Sulphur Dioxide (220) the key to bright orange dried apricots
Dried apricots can be a delicious and healthy snack for children but did you know that preservative 220, or sulphur dioxide, is used to maintain their bright orange colour in the drying process?
Dried apricots, like many fruits when dried or preserved, tend to darken in colour and apparently we, as consumers, find that unappealing. We associate freshness with bright colours but the price we pay for that perception is a generous dollop of a preservative that is ‘ripe’ with health issues for children and asthmatics or anyone with an allergy to preservatives. Read More…
How are food additives classified
Here is a quick and ready reckoner that provides an easy to understand classification system for the food additives used today.
- 100-199 Colours
- 200-299 Preservatives and Food Acids
- 300-399 Antioxidants, Mineral Salts and Food Acids
- 400-499 Emulsifiers, Humectants, Vegetable Gums and Processing Aids
- 500-599 Anti Caking Agents, Firming Agents, Stabilisers and Processing Aids
- 600-899 Flavour Enhancers
- 900-1201 Sweetening Agents, Bleaching Agents, Propellants, Antifoaming Agents
- 1400-1450 Thickeners
- 1505-1521 Sequestrants and Solvents Read More…
Allergic to amaranth even though it sounds natural
Allergies to red food colouring are not uncommon, but when the name of the colour shown on the label is ‘amaranth’ (E123) it is easy to think this might be one of the more acceptable food colouring alternatives.
As a grain, amaranth is touted as one of the superfoods of the decade. High in protein and other essential minerals, it is an excellent substitute for gluten-based grains. Read More…
Are banana chips a healthy children’s snack food?
Healthy snack foods are high on most parents’ list of ‘must-have-at-the-ready’ items.
Fruit in its natural form is always preferable but when a child wants chips and only chips, I have found banana chips can satisfy kiddy cravings and provide a healthy option. So I was curious to find out how banana chips are made and if any aspect of the manufacturing process is detrimental to health. Read More…
Preservative labelling a ‘trick-of-trade’ for advertising
Preservative labelling is not always what it seems. At the supermarket recently, I reviewed several brands of lemonade to see if there was one that was a better choice for the punch recipe my family has had at celebrations since I was a child. Read More…
Artificial ingredients in peanut butter a health concern
Peanut butter is a chemically enhanced, synthetic liquid slime. From the mould inhibitors used in the growing and storage process, to the rancid fats released in the roasting process, the nutritional value of peanut butter in a child’s diet is highly questionable.
Flouride – a daily dose of toxin
My two year old insists on calling toothpaste ‘poo paste’. The wisdom of the young never ceases to amaze me.
Most commercial toothpastes are quite literally loaded with ‘crap ‚Äì ingredients that are harmful, especially for little ones who don’t cope with the toxic load of life like adults simply because they are smaller.