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Artificial food colours and other food additives have long been suggested to affect behaviour in children. In a recent study where two groups were given different food mixtures, in which the groups did not know which mixture they were receiving, one group received a mixture which contained additives and the other free of additives.

The study found the following: The children receiving the additive containing mix showed a significant worsening of behaviours especially in the 8\9 year age group.....

So what exactly are additives and preservatives and how is it that they can have such a pronounced effect on behaviour. Additives are by definition substances added to natural foods to improve flavour, appearance and texture. Preservatives enhance the shelf life of the food and allow it to last longer in a certain format. Food additives can be naturally occurring substances that are isolated and concentrated and added to a food or beverage in various amounts.

Certain additives and preservatives are chemically constructed and added to foods in this form e.g. some sweeteners, tartrazine and monosodium glutamate.

Some food for thought; Keep it simple. The more convenient and instant a food is the higher the amounts of additives and preservatives present. Below you will find a list of some of the more harmful additives to avoid. The more raw foods and simple - home cooked foods you feed your family the easier it is to avoid additives. Be aware, however, that not all ‘raw’ foods are necessarily additive free.

With today’s chemical farming, even the old saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” must be questioned. For the worm one brief journey across the average apple is enough to kill it…so what can you do to protect yourself? 1. Select organic fruit and vegetables wherever possible. 2. Wash or peel non organic produce. 3. Choose fruit and vegetables in season. This means that your exposure to the chemicals to delay ripening, prolong shelf life, preserve colour and so on will be limited.

The rule of thumb when planning your family diet is the 80:20 rule. 80% of the time aim for fresh, natural, preservative free food. 20% of the time you may not be able to avoid these additives and your body will cope with them if 80% of the time you are nourishing your body with all the good healthy fresh foods and getting sufficient exercise, drinking fresh water and managing your stress appropriately.

Here is a list of food additives to watch out for:

Top 20 Food Additives to Avoid

Name	E #	Usage
Allura Red AC	E129	Food coloring in snacks, sauces, preserves, soups, wine, cider, etc.
Amaranth	E123	Food coloring in wine, spirits, fish roe.
Aspartame	E951	Sweetener in snacks, sweets, alcohol, desserts, ~diet foods
Benzoic acid	E210	Preservative in many foods, including drinks, low sugar products, cereals, meat products.
Brilliant Black BN	E151	In drinks, sauces, snacks, wines, cheese, etc.
Butylated Hydroxy-anisole	E320	Preservative, particularly in fat-containing foods, confectionery, meats.
Calcium benzoate	E213	Preservative in many foods, including drinks, low-sugar products, cereals, meat products.
Calcium sulphite	E226	Preservative in a vast array of foods-from burgers to biscuits, from frozen mushrooms to horseradish. Used to make old produce look fresh.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)	E621	Flavor enhancer.
Ponceau 4R, Conchineal Red A	E124	Food coloring.
Potassium benozoate	E212	See calcium benzoate.
Potassium nitrate	E249	Preservative in cured meats and canned meat products.
Propyl p-hydroxybenozoate, propylparaben, and paraben	F216	Preservative in cereals, snacks, pate, meat products, confectionery.
Saccharin & its Na, K and Ca salts	E954	Sweetener in diet, and no-sugar products.
Sodium metabisulphite		Preservative and antioxidant.
Sodium sulphite	E221	Preservative used in wine-making and other processed foods.
Stannous chloride (tin)	E512	Antioxidant and color-retention agent in canned and bottled foods, fruit juices.
Sulphur dioxide	E220	Preservative.
Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S	E110	Food coloring.
Tartrazine	E102	Yellow food coloring.

There is some good news. Not all E numbers stand for evil. The ones listed below are safe and healthy to consume...enjoy reading labels

Colors	E101 E160	vitamin B2 carotene, vitamin A
Antioxidants	E300-304 E306-309	vitamin C, tocopherols like vitamin E
Emulsifiers	E322	lecithin
Stabilizers	E375 E440	niacin pectin