Knowing about food additives to avoid foods that contain the most problematic ones is the goal of European Consumers’ guide. A handbook that reports any useful information on the characteristics of the many substances added in food products.
Food additives, knowing them to avoid the ‘unnecessary’
Food additives in some cases pose safety problems, even serious ones, although they have been used for decades in the food industry. The historical cases of sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame, which are still in use today, are joined by the more recent cases of nanomaterials. Such as titanium dioxide, which has been declared mutagenic by EFSA (2021), and silicon dioxide pending further evaluation.
So the risk cannot be ruled out, on some substances, and the European Commission does not seem to be in a hurry to apply the precautionary principle. Some additives, moreover, accustom people-children, in particular-to artificial flavors that are far from healthy, natural nutrition. Few additives are really necessary, to ensure food safety with respect to the risks of pathogenic bacteria proliferation in some animal products.
Desire for clean label
Critical consumer attention to these substances is increasing. This is evidenced by the success of the Yuka app, which can instantly reveal the presence of suspicious elements in food. And this is confirmed by the Italians’ preference for clean labels detected by theImmagino Observatory.
A valuable advocacy tool , therefore, is European Consumers‘‘Notes on Food Additives‘ guide. (1) An in-depth report produced by Pietro Massimiliano Bianco, Marina Mariani and Marco Tiberti (president of the association).
Food additives, the call of European Consumers.
The authors of the guide, as a result of in-depth analysis on individual food additives, with bibliographical references to scientific literature, opinions of various authorities in charge of scientific risk assessment, and restrictions or bans established nationally and/or internationally (in the EU and/or its member countries, Switzerland, USA, etc.) – urge consumAtors to choose natural or minimally processed foods.
Once again the topic of ultra-processed foods comes up, the consumption of which is discouraged because it is associated with increased exposure to risks of noncommunicable diseases and premature mortality, immune system injury and food addiction. (2)
Bland legislation
‘The legislation appears extremely lax, and EFSA limits do not consider synergy with other substances in food (e.g., pesticides, endocrine disruptors). There is also a lack of proper environmental profiling of the metabolites that inevitably end up in rivers and streams. These substances lead, when synthetic, inevitably to a deterioration of individual health and environmental quality.
The Precautionary Principle of maximum safe limits related to intake is generally not applied. Many products banned on scientific grounds in some countries are, in fact, permitted in others’.
Notes
(1) European Consumers. Notes on food additives. 27.6.21 https://www.europeanconsumers.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Note-sugli-additivi-alimentari.pdf
(2) Dario Dongo, Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Genetic modification and aging, ultra-processed foods vs Mediterranean diet. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 12.9.2020 https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/salute/modifiche-genetiche-e-invecchiamento-alimenti-ultraprocessati-vs-dieta-mediterranea
Marta Strinati. Ultraprocessed foods and premature mortality, two scientific studies. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 29.8.19 %C3%
Dario Dongo. Junk food, immune system tilt. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 29.1.18 https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/salute/cibo-spazzatura-tilt-sistema-immunitario
Dario Dongo, Sabrina Bergamini. Ultraprocessed foods and food addiction, a scientific study. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 16.5.19 https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/alimenti-ultra-processati-e-dipendenza-da-cibo-studio-scientifico
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
