There Are No Harmful And Harmless E's In Food

Author: Ivan Red Jr. Time for reading: ~5 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about There Are No Harmful And Harmless E's In Food. Dr. Kamen Nikolov is an expert at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency.

- Are there harmful and harmless E's in food?

In principle, all these E's or so-called supplements, in the sense of the legislation are not foods. These are substances that, due to technological necessity, used in the respective products, give the product some additional properties, such as color, taste or other properties. These are substances that are added due to technological necessity. They are divided into several groups and there is a regulation that sets the maximum amounts that can be used in different food groups. There are no harmful and harmless E's. The point is that if it is used above the allowable quantities, then it can have some side or adverse effect on certain groups of the population.

When we talk about children, I would say that in Bulgaria we have very good legislation and we have long had such regulations, which determine the conditions under which children from 0 to 18 years of age eat. For these foods that are offered in schools, all E's are banned. With the exception of some, which are put on technological necessity, but are not found in the final product. For example, E-330 is added to standard bread, which is an antioxidant and is not found in the final product. For other products and for other groups of the population, these additives are used in production, but there are acceptable levels.

- What could be the effects on human health from these enhancers?

As these substances have been used relatively recently in food, there is still no extremely accurate evidence of the final effect if they are used above the permissible values. But according to a number of studies conducted in the United States, Germany, Japan and other countries, some of these supplements may have a carcinogenic effect, others may have an adverse effect on children and especially on their mental development, especially colorants, sweeteners and others. This is not yet 100% proven and is still in the realm of what is supposed.

The other thing to pay attention to is the so-called cumulative effect. That is, the manufacturer has the right to use the maximum allowable amount of dyes, emulsifiers, preservatives and others. However, when it uses the maximum allowable amounts, it is still not clear to scientists what the final effect on the human body will be after 5 or 10 years if a person consumes these foods with the maximum allowable amounts of these substances.

- Recently, there is a lot of talk about carcinogens and sweeteners such as aspartame and their harmful effects on the body ...

As for aspartame, it is a sweetener that is approved for use and the permissible levels are also set. Here, perhaps, attention should be paid to control, and not by the control body, but by parents and teachers. Because a child's habits are nurtured not only in the family but also in society. And, if we all make every effort, through awareness-raising campaigns, regulations and even bans, children will learn from an early age to have some limit and culture of using these products. If a child drinks one car a week, there will be no risk to his health. However, if you drink one car every day, then the risk becomes very high, because there is an accumulation, and in the car there is not only aspartame.

Again, aspartame is allowed. The point is for manufacturers to follow the values, and they do it because no big manufacturer will allow the "luxury" to allow excessive values, as this means that it will bring it down from the market.

- In this regard, does the price of the product matter when we talk about the quality and use of E's?

Of course. The better quality product is always at a higher price and I will give the example of conventional products and organic products - there is a huge difference. The price is decisive.

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- That is, if we buy a non-alcoholic one of 70 stotinki and one of 3 levs, then we can fully trust the second one, right?

If not completely, then at least 70%. Just think, if one thing costs 70 cents and is 250 ml, what is the value of what is inside, not including the packaging, the label, the human factor and labor. What's in it to cost as much as water costs, right? It can be manufactured according to technological documentation and have authorized products. It will be safe as a product, but it will not be healthy.

- How to distinguish between a safe and healthy product?

A safe product means to be manufactured according to technological documentation, by a manufacturer who is regulated and registered under the Food Act and to comply with hygiene requirements. A healthy product already means that it is intended for certain categories of citizens such as children, adults, diabetics and others. A distinction must be made between these two things.

That is why the legal framework for children from 0 to 18 years is such that it provides them on the one hand safe and on the other healthy products. That is why the industry standards for lutenitsa, bread, milk, meat and oil were developed.

- But how do consumers, going to the store, navigate the product labels?

First, the regulation defines what should be in a product, that is, the ingredients. Secondly, it turns out very well what the indications should be when there are allergens. The regulation defines 14 groups of allergens, which when present on the label must be thickened, highlighted or in another color, so that consumers can orient themselves to their own health needs and choose whether to buy the product or not.

Thirdly, we are talking about the nutritional value, which from December this year must be present on the label. So that consumers with overweight, diabetes or other diseases can figure out how many kilocalories they will take in and decide whether to buy the product or not.

There Are No Harmful And Harmless E's In Food

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