**Alert** food safety for kids

[mooshie]

looks like the aldi sour cream and onion chips (which i am in love with) are out to. hmmm i love that idea of making a card up and keeping it in the wallet, i think i am going to do that

[hannanat]

mines just a battered old piece of cardboard now - I think I'll do another one and then laminate it when I have time

[NewmumLou]

OMG! I just read this post and we buy those cheese and crackers from aldi too..... yuck! Thanks Nat.... i am goin to skim that web site now!

[Lilly-Pilly]

So what can we feed the kids these days that isn't nasty for them ???

This is terrible!

[hannanat]

McDonalds Fries have 320 as well. As far as I can see the only harmful ingredient in the burgers is 282 in the bun. The fries are dangerous though.

Maybe you can buy the burger, and make your own fries? Kinda defeats the purpose, but better than the alternative.

[Ambah]

I have just been checking out that site, and plugging in the additives in some of our foods... was checking out our favourite rice cakes, and every single additive in them checked out as fine, until I got to the last one - its MSG!!! I am SO not impressed!!!
I think I will be making up my own little card as well now to take shopping...

[leeloo]

Thought i should post in here too.... I'm outraged!!

I bought a box of these Bulla Fruit n Yogurt icecream paddle pops - National Heart Foundation Tick.... No artificial colours or flavours, made with fresh yogurt & milk, Made with real fruit.....

Contains the Additive 407 (Carrageenan)

Suspected Carcinogen, linked to ulcerative colitis, damage to the immune system and concern about excitotoxic effects. Not recommended for children - more work needed. Many reports of IBS like symptoms associated with its regular uses. Not recommend for regular consumption!

WTF!!!!

[Artechim]

Most of these additives are in such small quantities that they will not have much (if any) effect. The studies are also carried out on animals which have different metabolisms to humans ie onions can kill horses, cows, dogs, rabbits, rats within days of consumption but there is no danger to humans.
There are many naturally occuring chemicals in fruits and vegies that have nasty effects if consumed in its pure form but are not at all dangerous in the tiny amounts they occur in ie Capsaisin is a naturally occuring compound in capsaicum but the safety data for it says

Special Remarks on Chronic Effects on Humans: May affect genetic material (mutagenic)
Special Remarks on other Toxic Effects on Humans:
There is some concern that capsaicin may be potentially neurotoxic, although clinical studies with topical Capsaicin have not shown this to occur.
Ingestion: harmful if swallowed. Causes gastrointestinal tract irritation with burning sensation in the mouth and throat, headache, nausea, vomiting, watering eyes, and runny nose, shortness of breath. May affect behavior/central nervous system (convulsions, excitement, muscle contraction or spasticity).
Ingestion: Prolonged or repeated ingestion may affect metabolism, liver.
Inhalation: Prolonged or repeated inhalation may cause severe chronic bronchitis

You can find data like this for many fruits and vegetables. Green potato and apple seeds contain arsenic, almonds have cyanide. My point is that many chemicals, either naturally occuring or additives, are bad in large doses but in the small quantities that they are found in food it is not going to have the effect that is warned about ie those effects are for the pure compound.

I am not trying to change anyones mind, and if it is your veiw that it is better for your family to avoid the food additives then that is entirely up to you, each to their own, I am just pointing out that a tiny bit will not cause the effects of consuming pure compound.

[Fee]

Is it just best to avoid any food with a "number" listed in the ingredients? Or are some numbers okay? I have seen these websites before but haven't had a chance to have a good read yet. Will do so now!

[hannanat]

Do you have the site Fee? Its additivealert

[Ambah]

Hey Fee - a lot of the 'numbers' are safe - so its definately best to get a list of the unsafe ones (I think there are around 50 unsafe ones?)
If you go to that site (Additive Alert) they have comprehensive lists on there.
They have lists on all additives, and the ones that don't list anything in the Comments section are the safe ones.

[*Nikki*]

OMG - i just read this thread... Nat thankyou so much for letting us know... i cant believe it..... its so scary what they put in foods these days

[Ambah]

Just want to add that additive 320 is found in both Kraft and Praise mayonaisses, and in Home Brand Arrowroot bikkies (which is NOT good seeing as its specifically not recommended for children!)
Luckily Woolworths Select Mayo is fine...

[visitor2]

I can't believe that mayonaisses have it in. I always buy the Praise one just glad the kids don't eat it.

I wonder if it's worth doing a sticky list of all the bad aditives so it's easier to look up.
I was given a aditives list from the CYN but it doesn't say what it good and bad ones.

[leeloo]

The book "Additive Alert" Gives you a handy shopping list of all the additives to avoid to take with you to the supermarket..... Makes it a lot easier then carrying the book around!!

Also, yes there are additives in small amounts in many foods, alot are safe, its the carcinogens and additives that cause genetic mutations that really should be avoided....

There are a lot of foods out there that are fine... pasta and tinned tomatoes for example.... Its really the processed and fast type foods which are the concern, I've been doing a lot of cooking since buying the Additive Alert book, making my own lasagnas, pasta sauces, my own sausage rolls... DS loves these and I know they are additive free.... !!

[hannanat]

I use the Paul Newman pasta sauces. The bolognaise one is fine. Not sure about the others. And all the profits go to charities, so an extra bonus

[lilprecious75]

The other problem with the additives in foods is that the recommended safe amounts are based on adults - not children - yet the foods that have the most additives in them seem to be the ones (mostly anyway) that are directly marketed to children. I understand that not everyone has harmful reactions to the foods - but I personally would rather eat foods with less artificial ingredients and are more closely linked to their actual natural form. If I lived on a big farm I would have a HUGE veggie patch, lots of fruit trees, and chickens as well so that a lot of my food would be much safer to eat. But I do the best I can living in the city - don't even get me started on the episode I saw on Today Tonight the other night about pesticide residue on fresh foods!!!!

[hannanat]

The pesticides worry me too and I'm so glad I didn't see that episode, lol. I thoroughly wash all our fruit and veges because of that and also because of peoples grotty hands mauling them in the supermarket. Yucky.