Gentowa

 

During the last hundred years the people have changed their eating habits, especiallythe content and preparation of the foodstuffs to such a degree than the whole existence hasnever achieved before. Today we can not find any foodstuffs, which would not b prepared insome way. The chemical conservation, colouring and flavouring of the foodstuffs and drinks is common procedure of their preparation.

The food industry nowadays uses for this sake tens of chemical compounds. It isobvious that the doses contained in the foodstuffs can not be toxic for the human body. Thisprinciple is controlled strictly by the particular authorities of the hygienic services. Thecolouring flavours can not be added to the fresh vegetable, fruit, coffee, tea. The butter, breadand milk might not be coloured with the synthetic colouring flavours. The conservative chemicals should not be added to milk, flour, bread, baby foods.

 

 

From time to time an affair comes up, related to the mass intoxication (let us mentionthe Spanish oils), but in this case it is always the human factor which failed. The reliable foodproducers can not afford in no case to go beyond the norms, which are stated for the particularadditives – as these chemicals are called. While developing these chemicals, the allergicpeople had been forgotten. Therefore we are now in the situation, when the huge amount ofthe allergic reactions is caused not by the foodstuffs itself, but by the chemicals added to it – whether as a result of their taste, smell, colour, or because of the freshness.

 

Tartrazine (E 102) is an orange colouring additive used perhaps to the greatest extent. Itis added to the whole range of foodstuffs and drugs, too. That might be the reason why it isthe well known and often food allergen (0, 5% of the population reacts to it). It becomes thesuspicious factor for the patients, who are allergic to foodstuffs without any relations among themselves (for example, the canned meat, ice-cream, sauce, conserves, chew gum, juice).

 

Sulphides (E 223) are used because of their antibacterial and antioxidant effects. They arecontained in the dried meals (fishes, fruits) and added to drinks (beer, wine, fruit andvegetable juices). In addition to the allergic reactions related to the food allergic sufferers, they worsen the health condition of up to 10% of the people suffering the asthma.

Parabenes (E 127) are often used in the food industry, but also in the drugs and cosmeticsproduction because of their antibacterial and antifungal effects. Pay attention to the dentalwaters and teeth pastes. They cause the allergic reaction, which affect the skin the most (eczema, urticaria).

Erythrosine (E 127) is a red water-soluble colouring additive used in the food industryand the drugs production. We van find it almost in all commercially produced foodstuffs, which are red. It causes all possible clinical forms of allergic reactions.

Carotenoids (E 160) are red colouring additives used in many foodstuffs (pasta, bakeryproducts, candies, ice-creams, fried milk creams, dry pastry, candies, mayonnaise products,mayonnaises, drinks, vinegar, powdered drinks, fruit and vegetable products, oils and fats,soups, pre-cooked rice, milk products, food concentrates, mustard, fish and poultry products,soup preparation products, powdered meals preparation mixtures, sauces). They cause the allergic reaction especially when the patients are allergic to some kind of vegetable.

Benzoates (E 210-219) belong to the most commonly used conservative chemicals. The allergic reactions caused by them have different clinical development.

Monosodium glutamate (E 621) is added as a flavour to the soups, sauces, and meatpreparation products. It can cause so called Chinese restaurant syndrome. It is not good for the little babies.

Butylhydroxyanisole (E 320) added to the majority of the foodstuffs as an antioxidant –to oils, fats, emulsified fats, candy products, soup and sauce preparation products, ketchups,flavoured vegetable creams, mayonnaise, flavoured horseradish, garlic paste, mustard, nutkernels, chew gums, products on the basis of the boiled potatoes, fried semi finished potato products.

 

Summary of the additive coding

E100 - E199 Foodstuffs colouring additives

E200 – E299 Conservative agents

E300 – E321 Antioxidants

E322 – E495 Emulsifiers, stabilizers, jelly reagents

E 500 – 3619 Acids, alkalis ( E 260, 270, 330, 334, as well)

E620 – E637 Taste flavours

E900 – E925 Various

E1000 - Others

RememberAccording to the food law the producers must obligatory label and mark the foodstuffs.The consumers must be informed on the content and composition of the packedfoodstuffs. The list of the particular components should be listened in the downwardorder – according to the declining amount.

The additive can me marked by the name orthe number code. In the European countries the initial E letter, established already 30years ago within the European system, is used. The INS (International NumberingSystem) labelling, which is identical with the E system, has started to be used. It enablesthe orientation in the food industry additives within the whole world.

Red and white beans

are often food components used in sauces or soups. They are oftenadded to canned meat food products. The patients often cross-react to other kinds of legumes,as well.

Soya beans are the most frequently used legume worldwide. Soya is used in various forms– starting with the traditional legumes, continuing with prepared foodstuff – tofu, soya fibre,soya “meat”. The soya sauce is a part of mixed sauces and dressings. According to itsfrequent usage it belongs to the most common causes of the allergic reactions. Moreover, thedisoriented patients, especially the parents of children suffering some allergies think that soyamilk can substitute the cows´ milk. The reverse is true! Offering another allergen, althoughany cross-reaction is threatening, is unsuitable for children.

The cross-reaction occurs withpeas, peanuts and other legumes.Meals which can contain the soya protein:

● ready made baby food

● bakery products

● pudding

● bread

● hamburger

● butter adjunct

● chocolate

● meat products

● sausages

● soups

● crackers

● dressings

● deserts

● ice-cream

● canned meat

● caned fish

Peas and lentils

do not belong to often allergens in these latitudes (in India it is the fifthmost common allergen). Those allergic to these legumes should be careful. Peas are added tovarious meals, for example mayonnaise and sandwiches.

Peanuts (groundnuts)

belong to the most common food allergens at all. In the UnitedStates it is the number one in particular because of the fact, that the peanut butter iscommonly used in American cuisine. This vice has already appeared in Europe – just think ofall the Nutela peanut butters and other sweet spreads, waffle fillings, etc.The peanut as an allergen is dangerous since its oil is added to the whole range offoodstuffs, while, unfortunately, this information is not written on the cover of the foodstuff!This goes for various sauces, cakes, ice-creams and flavours. It is often used for thickeningthe meals – mostly various barbecue sauces. Traces of peanuts allergens are marked even infoodstuffs, which do not contain any peanuts at all – as a result of the previous productionprocess of the production devices. After eating such foodstuff, a serious allergic reaction wasprecipitated. In the United States several tens of people die as a result of the anaphylacticshock after eating the peanuts or their parts.The cross-reaction can occur with other legumes.

Nuts and seeds

Many seeds inside the shells are regarded as nuts, although from the botanic point ofview they do not belong to this group of fruit. As foodstuff they are used commonlywhether as food supplements because of their high level of proteins and oils, or becauseof their taste.

The seeds and nuts are often allergens and danger the allergic people perhaps the mostbecause they are contained in many food products. The various bakery products – breads,pastry, cakes, cereals, candies, sweets, ice-creams, drinks, chocolate products, desserts, milkproducts and hundreds other products contain some of the nuts or seeds. The great danger forthe allergic people lies in the fact that many products contain such a small amount of theseelements so that the producer does not declare it. The patients allergic to some of thefollowing seeds or nuts have to be very careful while choosing their foodstuffs.

Almonds

are stone fruit kernels of typical taste. According to the presence or absence of theglycoside, which is called amygdaline, they are divided into bitter and sweet types. Thekernels are eaten either alone – roasted and salted or added to various products – ice-creams,chocolates, cakes, puddings, chew gums. Be careful – the almond oil is often added tocosmetic products.

Brazil nuts

are actually seeds from huge trees, growing in the wildness of the SouthAmerica and in the rain forests of the Amazon region. The trees are not planted, but the cropand the export of the seeds forms an important part of their economy. Inside the big fruit-up totwo kilograms of weigh- with the wooden shell, 10-22 seeds are growing. The nuts with ahigh nutritional value and 60 or more percentage content of the oil and 17% of the proteins.