Food additives

Most food additives are considered safe.

All additives in the UK and Europe are controlled by law, and can only be used following stringent tests and approval by an independent committee of scientists and medical experts.

However, some scientists have linked additives - particularly tartrazine or E102 - to hyperactivity in children, allergies, asthma, migraines and even cancer.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) believes more research is needed before any firm link is established between additives and allergic reactions. But it does not rule out the possibility.

Sarah Schenker, a nutrition scientist for the BNF, said: "Some additives, especially some of the colourants, have been linked with hyperactivity in children, but the evidence is very ancedotal.

"There have been no properly controlled trials or tests looking at the effect of additives.

"The public should not be worried about additives because they have all been rigorously tested before they are allowed to be added to foods."

Dr Schenker said that if people noticed a reaction they should simply cut the offending item out of their diet.

However, according to The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a US organisation that campaigns for food safety, many additives should be avoided for health grounds.

Aspartame concern

The sugar substitute Aspartame is sold commercially as Equal and Nutrasweet.

One out of 20,000 babies is born without the ability to metabolise phenylalanine from any dietary source. Phenylalanine is a naturally occurring essential amino acid found in all protein (including mother's milk) and is one of the two amino acids in aspartame.

All children are screened for phenylketonuria at birth and any found with it have to follow a strict diet for the rest of their lives, controlling the amount of protein they consume.

There is some evidence to suggest toxic levels of this substance in the blood can result in mental retardation.

Scientists are also investigating a possible link between aspartame and changes in brain function.

People have reported dizziness, headaches, epileptic-like seizures, and menstrual problems after consuming aspartame.

Other additives highlighted by the CSPI include:

• Caffeine: linked to peptic ulcers, insomnia, nervousness and birth defects.

• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): linked to heaches, tightness in the chest, and a burning sensation in the forearms and back of the head.

• Nitrite and Nitrate: Meat preservatives that can form powerful cancer causing chemicals when heated.

• Saccharin: linked to cancer is laboratory animals.