The New Straits Times, March 11, 1996
Q: What is a food additive and how would t affect our body: Is it true that food additives can cause hyperactivity in children?
A: A food additive is any substance added to food which may directly or indirectly affect the characteristics of the food. For example, sugar, salt and yeast are perhaps the most commonly used food additives. With the advances in food technology, food additives have become essential and more complex.
Basically, additives are used for various reason. They many act as stabilixers in order to maintain product consistency and stability. Most of the time, additives are used to improve or maintain the nutritional value of a product. They are also used to control the palatability of the product. In other instances, additives are often employed to enhance and add suitable flavour or colour to the product. Many spices and natural as well as synthetic flavours are used for these purpose.
Most of the additives in use have undergone a series of tests before being released for human consumption. Animal studies using large doses of the additives for long periods are often necessary to show that the substance would not cause any harmful effect at "expected levels" of human consumption.
A number of factors has to be considered before any additive is released into the market. These include the composition and properties of the substance, the amount likely to be consumed, its probable long-term effects and various safety factors. Under the proposed conditions of use, its safety is only based on the best scientific knowledge available. Absolute safety of any substance can never be proven.
Isolated cases of hypersensitivity have been associated with additives. Those who have a history of allergy should avoid excessive exposure to additives. Reactions include skin rashes, hayfever, breathing problems, blurred vision, gastric upset and vomitting.
Some colour additives, especially those derived from the "azo-dye" group, should be avoided by those with aspirin sensitivity and asthmatic patients. It has been suggested that azo-dyes are among substances which could trigger off 'hyperactivity syndrome" in children. However, this issue has been quite controversial. A recent report has stated that well-controlled studies have produced no evidence that food additives could cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children.
Q: Some friends say I should avoid foods that contain the additives BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), while others say I should take supplements that contain them because they might prevent cancer. Who's right?
A: Both BHT and BHA are antioxidants, which means that they can be used to keep various things such as food from being degraded by oxygen. They delay or retard or prevent the development in food of rancidity or other flavour deterioration due to oxidant. BHA especially is heat-resistant, thus it is commonly used in baked products.
Some people are sensitive to the presence of BHA and BHT in foods. They are known to precipitate allergic reactions. Some people who are sensitive to BHT may develop rashes.
Both BHA and BHT have been associated with the development of metabolising enzymes in liver which lead to an increased risk of breaking down of important substances in the body such as vitamins D. Various reports have also linked this additive with possible reproductive failures, behavioural and blood cell changes.
Although there is a lot of research supporting the theory that free radicals resulting from cell oxidation are related to some cancerous effects, their role as anticancer agent remains controversial. In some studies, there are claims that these additives have been shown to prevent cancer in animals. However, there is evidence to indicate that BHA and BHT can also cause tumours in laboratory animals.
Although several tests of chronic toxicity of a small amount of BHA and BHT have not revealed any serious adverse effects, it is probably not advisable to take it a food supplement.
