They’ve been seen as a diet no-no for years, but now it seems additives can be good for you
Among health fanatics, E numbers have gained a reputation for being worse than Frankenstein’s monster. Critics claim they trigger everything from hyperactivity and mood disorders to life-threatening diseases.
Now, food writer Stefan Gates, has investigated these demonised food additives for a television documentary E Numbers: An Edible Adventure. His discoveries have led him to believe that many of these chemicals may do us more good than harm.
Throughout history, substances have been added to food to colour, enhance flavour and preserve. But today, food additives are carefully regulated and have to fulfil strict purity criteria.
Manufacturers must prove a technological need for their use, and a clear benefit to the consumer. The use of food additives is uniform across the EU, and all approved additives are given an ‘E’ catalogue number (E for Europe).
Permitted food additives are broadly classified into several categories according to the functions they perform, and their use is limited to particular foods. There are more than 300 food additives and they are found in 50 per cent of all supermarket products.
Yet Gates, 42, from London, found that even if you followed an organic diet, you would still consume E numbers. Many come from natural sources and 20 are even produced by the human body itself.
‘What is surprising is that many E numbers in processed foods – from low-fat spreads to cakes – are derived from nature,’ he says. ‘Some are chemicals that our body needs for survival and some are important weapons against life-threatening bacteria.
‘Without E numbers, the British diet could, possibly, be a lot worse.’
COLOUR MAKES FOOD TASTE BETTER
There are 42 different food dyes in all kinds of food, known as the E100s. They are not just cosmetic but a vital tool for food manufacturers, according to Gates.
In one experiment, two batches of canned peas were given to students at Reading University, both of which had been heated to 121 degrees to destroy the enzymes and bacteria.
One of them was pale green – because the heating process removed the colouring – the other contained two artificial food dyes, E102 Tartrazine Yellow and E133 Brilliant Blue, to reinstate the green colour.
All students thought the bright green peas tasted better than the paler ones, dispelling the myth that natural food tastes better.
In another example of how colour can influence our enjoyment of food, colour additive was added to Alsace Pinot Gris wine to make it red. None of the connoisseurs at the London Wine club realised they were drinking a white wine.
Scientist Alice Pegg, who conducted the experiment , says: ‘Subconsciously, whenever we look at a piece of food, we get an idea of what it’s going to taste like. Colour is vital to food. It is what guides our perception of flavour and taste.’
Putting it to the test: Stefan and chemist Andrea Sella experimenting with dyes
MSG IS IN BROCCOLI, TOO
There are 18 different flavour enhancers, or E600s – the most notorious being E621 Monosodium Glutamate.
Many people believe they develop a reaction to MSG, dubbed ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome’, after consuming the additive, although it is a popular myth. In fact, MSG is found naturally in broccoli, mushrooms and tomatoes, so anyone who reacts to MSG would have problems with other vegetables.
In the early 1900s, chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered that the MSG in seaweed used to make Japanese stock was what made it so tasty. By 1907, he had found a way of extracting the glutamate and combining it with sodium to make a white powder which could be added to food. Nowadays, MSG is made through the fermentation of molasses and sugar beet and is one of the world’s most popular additives. Food scientist Audrey Deane said: ‘One of the highest concentrations of MSG is in parmesan.’
SOMETHING TO SPREAD ON YOUR BREAD
Emulsifiers are crucial in order to mix fat and water – substances that would otherwise separate. After Napoleon launched a competition to find a cheaper alternative to butter for his troops in the 1850s, chemist Mege-Mouries discovered a method of emulsifying and created the first margarine.
Many emulsifiers are found in nature. E322 Lecithin, a vital ingredient in spreads and chocolate products, is found in egg yolk. E471, which is used in ice cream, is sourced from modified soya beans.
A REAL SMOOTHIE
E number stabilisers, or E400s, are a vital ingredient in many supermarket products, making them smooth and consistent in texture. One of the most common is E410 Locust Bean Gum, used in ice cream and salad products. It is a natural additive and comes from the carob tree. Similarly, the thickener E412, or Guar Gum, is extracted from guar seeds, grown in India and Pakistan. E407 Carrageenan, which replaces fat in salad dressings, comes from seaweed, farmed and harvested in the Philippines.
YOUR BODY'S OWN E NUMBERS
Gates extracted five E numbers from his own body and (hold on to your stomach) made a cake with them. His first sample was a phial of tears, which produced the additive E1105 Lysozyme, a preservative in wine and cheese.
His second was sweat, in which he found E280 Propionic Acid, another preservative, which prevents mould growing on bread. He also extracted the flour-improvement agent E920 L-cysteine from his hair. He then discovered E507 Hydrochloric Acid, used in golden syrup, in the digestive juices in his stomach.
Finally he underwent liposuction to remove E422 Glycerol, which keeps the icing on cakes moist, from the fat in his body.
PRESERVATIVES
There are 38 E number preservatives, or E200s, which prevent diseases such as botulism, which can cause blurred vision, paralysis and death within 24 hours.
Historically, meat was preserved in salt, which absorbs water that bacteria needs to thrive from the food. Now there is a range of nitrates that are more powerful in the battle against poisoning.
One of the most powerful is E252 Potassium Nitrate, which is a key ingredient in the manufacture of gunpowder, originally created by combining horse manure and urine with burnt wood. While two per cent of the nitrates we consume come from preservatives, a massive 50 per cent come from vegetables, as nitrogen is essential for plant growth.
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