Only a small shower so far today so we ventured out to Shinn Falls which is owned by Harrods. I took the dogs for a walk while mother in law had a look at the shop. There seems to be Gala's going on in all the small villages locally so quite a bit happening up here at the moment but it is mostly fairly dependent on some dry weather. The Gala's are very much aimed at families with processions, sports and entertainments.
After my post yesterday about healthy eating I thought that I might stay on this theme a bit longer. I have been reading about food additives, we apparently eat up to two kilograms of them in a year which is a pretty horrifying thought. There are lots of them
in conventional food, less in organic
food, and they may be making your kids hyperactive.
I’m not talking about pesticide residues,
but food additives. Additives in organic food
products are controlled and restricted, and
represent an important point of difference between
organic and non-organic foods.
Artificial food additives are commonly used in
modern food processing and it’s not unusual
to find a lengthy ingredients list on many products. Food additives are relied
upon by manufacturers to put back the taste
that processing often removes, to prevent spoilage,
extend shelf life and to improve the texture,
colour or flavour of foods. But they are also
used to replace ‘real’ ingredients
and to make junk food seem more healthy and
appealing.
Many food additives have been linked with symptoms
such as allergic reactions, rashes, headaches,
asthma, growth retardation and hyperactivity
in children.
Organic standards prohibit the use of 258 of
the 290 food additives approved in the EU, including
the controversial additives highlighted in the
recent Southampton University research. The
32 permitted additives are allowed in organic
foods only if they don’t compromise the
authenticity of the product and the product
can’t be produced or preserved without
them.
Specific prohibitions from organic foods include
all artificial colours and sweeteners, hydrogenated
fats which have been linked with heart disease,
phosphoric acid which is in all cola drinks
and has been linked with osteoporosis, aspartame which we have discussed in this blog previously,
msg, and many more. I gave up fruit squashes other than organic some time ago and cannot imagine how I ever drank the sweet artificial stuff that is commonly given to children. Anything tasting less like fruit is hard to imagine.
Given the facts you could say that organic food is not a luxury –
it’s how food is supposed to be, and represents
an important safe haven in an increasingly stressful,
polluted and artificial world for anyone wanting
to protect their health and that of their families.
What do you think has anybody else stopped using something and then wondered how they ate or drank it for so long?
Linda