Food additives most dangerous for children

They seem harmless, but they're not. They add flavor, texture, and aroma, and help food products last longer. Yet, especially to children, they can cause serious harm. Behind the sometimes confusing acronyms on labels lie substances that are dangerous for young consumers, who unfortunately gorge on snacks, cakes, and sweets made with these additives. 

Glucose-fructose syrup

The primary need the snack industry addresses through the use of additives is to make them sweet, palatable, and ultimately addictive in young consumers. Yet, since 2017, an independent study by the Bambin Gesù Hospital has warned: "The systemic abuse of fructose added to foods and drinks has a dangerous effect on children's health: excessive amounts consumed daily increase the risk of developing liver disease, even serious ones, by a factor of one and a half." Specifically, the first substance to avoid, to prevent liver damage in children, is a sugar like glucose-fructose syrup. 

Artificial Colorants

Here the game of seduction, dictated by marketing, is on an aesthetic level. Colors make foods and drinks more appealing, but several studies have demonstrated the close link between artificial colorings and behavioral disorders, particularly in children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). According to detailed research by the University of Southampton in England, the use of these six dyes "can negatively affect activity and attention in children": sunset yellow (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine yellow (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine yellow (E102), and Ponceau red 4R (E124).

Monosodium glutamate 

Used to enhance the flavor of foods, it has been linked to reactions such as headaches, nausea, and sweating. Although the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) considers the use of MSG safe at regulatory, and therefore limited, levels, there are concerns about its long-term effects on children, especially their nervous systems.

Polyphosphates

These are substances used to retain water in foods, widely used in children's products, such as cheese. They belong to the family of emulsifying salts and are indicated on food labels with the usual cryptic acronyms: E450, E451, E452. The problem is that, in carrying out their activity, polyphosphates also absorb calcium, magnesium, and iron, which are essential minerals for growth. For this reason, the use of polyphosphates is prohibited in foods intended for children aged 0 to 3 years and is also strongly discouraged from the menus of slightly older consumers. 

Palm oil

The use of palm oil remains highly controversial, and in any case, children are advised against consuming products containing it. The palm oil refining process releases toxic contaminants such as 3-mcpd and glycidol. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), younger consumers, up to 18 years of age, are most exposed to these substances and are most at risk as they can easily exceed the "tolerable" daily intake.

Mono and diglycerides

They have emulsifying and stabilizing properties, making them widely used in biscuits and baked goods, but they can hinder normal growth and threaten the intestinal mucosa. These fatty acids can impair absorption, increasing liver and kidney size, reducing testicular size, and affecting the uterus. Mono- and diglycerides are also strongly discouraged for children. 

BHA (E320) and BHT (E321)

These antioxidants are used to prevent the spoilage of fats in packaged foods. However, they have been linked to health problems such as liver damage, endocrine disorders and possible carcinogenic effects.

Sulphites (E220, E221, E222)

The sulphites They are used as preservatives in dried fruit, wines, and other foods. They can cause allergic reactions in sensitive children, with symptoms such as difficulty breathing, rashes, and headaches.

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità's advice on additives 

In the field of food additives, the Italian National Institute of Health suggests three behaviors that we report verbatim:

• Read the label, so as to prefer foods with a low additive content
• Check the price of foods with bright colors; if they are cheap, artificial colors have definitely been used.
• Prefer fresh foods, avoiding pre-cooked and packaged foods in which the use of additives is often high

Read also: 

• Emulsifiers: what they are and what risks they pose
• Chocolate snacks with pesticides and unpleasant substances
• PFAS: What They Are and How to Reduce Them
• Gluten-free but with palm oil: the math for gluten-free foods doesn't add up.