Define the Reaction to Food Additives?
Food additives such as preservatives, flavour enhancers and colouring agents have been linked to adverse food reactions. Additives implicated include tartrazine (the yellow-orange colour dye used in foods, soft drinks, medicine), benzoic acid or sodium benzoate (added in soft drinks some cheeses, processed potato products) causing hives, rash and asthma. Sulphite is a group of sulphite-based compounds that may occur naturally or may be added to food a flavour enhancer and preservative.
Sulphites (including sodium sulphite, potassium sulphite, sodium metabisulphite, sodium bisulphite etc.) are added to many foods and beverages to prevent browning, control microbial growth, modify texture etc. have been well documented to cause adverse reactions such as acute asthma and anaphylaxis, loss of consciousness. Monosodium glutarnate (MSG) is thought to be safe for most people, but in some cases, adverse reaction to this flavouring agent includes headache, nausea, flushing, abdominal pain and asthma.