3 ms·

I sometimes wonder how many people in Europe are scared of additives because of the E-Number system that doesn't look natural at all and immediately makes you t

I sometimes wonder how many people in Europe are scared of additives because of the E-Number system that doesn't look natural at all and immediately makes you think that there are "chemicals" in your food. Who wants "E 300" in their food? Probably most random people you ask would say they don't want it without hesitation. Yet it's just Vitamin C.

m_mueller 11y ago
IMO (I'm one of these Europeans) there's good reasons to avoid additives and there's bad ones. There seems to be a relationship between additives and the prevalence of obesity. That may not be causal, but at least when it comes to Artificial Flavours the mechanism of that happening seems pretty clear to me. Preservatives is something that seems to be much less needed in a typical European urban lifestyle (shopping for food at least 2 times a week). I like to differentiate additives in different groups: Citric Acid. Should be just fine, apart from citrus allergy. Other preservatives and nitrates. I'm weary about those, i.e. I try not to eat much. As an example, so far I haven't seen a good counterproof against the Hawaiian nitrate study [1]. If alternatives without such preservatives are available I will choose those (and instead take care to eat it quickly). Artificial Flavouring. I try to limit these since it tricks me into eating more. Vitamins. Don't care if they're in there, but I won't buy a product just because of added Vitamins - I'm eating enough fresh produce. Things that make the product look/sell better but give me no benefit, e.g. food colouring. I'm trying to avoid those, it's probably fine but I don't see why I should eat something my body hasn't been exposed to during human evolution that doesn't have any benefit. [1] http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/97/19/1458.full.pdf http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/97/19/1458.full.pdf
- mimac 11y ago
  Citric acid is mainly produced by microbial fermentation so there is little worry even if you have a citrus allergy.
  - m_mueller 11y ago
    Interesting. I know someone with that allergy who avoids all citric acids, so I assumed this was a problem.

m_mueller 11y ago

IMO (I'm one of these Europeans) there's good reasons to avoid additives and there's bad ones. There seems to be a relationship between additives and the prevalence of obesity. That may not be causal, but at least when it comes to Artificial Flavours the mechanism of that happening seems pretty clear to me. Preservatives is something that seems to be much less needed in a typical European urban lifestyle (shopping for food at least 2 times a week). I like to differentiate additives in different groups: Citric Acid. Should be just fine, apart from citrus allergy. Other preservatives and nitrates. I'm weary about those, i.e. I try not to eat much. As an example, so far I haven't seen a good counterproof against the Hawaiian nitrate study [1]. If alternatives without such preservatives are available I will choose those (and instead take care to eat it quickly). Artificial Flavouring. I try to limit these since it tricks me into eating more. Vitamins. Don't care if they're in there, but I won't buy a product just because of added Vitamins - I'm eating enough fresh produce. Things that make the product look/sell better but give me no benefit, e.g. food colouring. I'm trying to avoid those, it's probably fine but I don't see why I should eat something my body hasn't been exposed to during human evolution that doesn't have any benefit. [1] http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/97/19/1458.full.pdf http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/97/19/1458.full.pdf

mimac 11y ago
Citric acid is mainly produced by microbial fermentation so there is little worry even if you have a citrus allergy.
- m_mueller 11y ago
  Interesting. I know someone with that allergy who avoids all citric acids, so I assumed this was a problem.