|
Common Bread Preservative Found to
Affect Children's Behavior
MEDIA RELEASE, Fed Up With
Preservatives of Australia, 13 August 2002
A new Darwin study shows that a preservative in our daily bread can
cause irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance.
Reported in the August issue of the Journal of Pediatrics and Child
Health, the study tested the effects of calcium propionate
(preservative 282) on 27 Darwin children. After eating only four
slices of bread a day for three days, 14 of the children who ate
bread with preservatives showed worse behaviour.
Principal researcher Sue Dengate, who has written several best-selling
books on food additives and children's behaviour, said the
Darwin research was the first published study in the world to
investigate the link between behavioural problems and calcium
propionate - a link denied by the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
"Testing for behavioural toxicity should be a part of all food
additive safety evaluation, but the Australian food regulator, Food
Standards Australia New Zealand, has yet to take this seriously," Ms
Dengate said.
Ms Dengate, a food intolerance counselor, began the study with
pediatrician Dr Alan Ruben when food regulators ignored her reports
about the effects of calcium propionate.
The controlled study started by putting children with behaviour
problems on the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital elimination diet, which
avoided 50 harmful additives as well as natural salicylates, amines
and glutamates.
"The results in this phase of testing were remarkable," said Dengate.
"Behaviour ratings for irritability, restlessness, inattention and
sleep disturbance dropped from the 95th percentile to the 31st
percentile showing just how badly some kids are affected by
a range of chemicals in our food."
"When the kids ate disguised loaves of bread, half of them reacted to
the bread containing preservatives."
"This is a real wake-up call for the food industry," said Dengate.
Nearly all bread in Australia now contains propionates, added for
manufacturers' convenience to allow sliced hot loaves to be put into
plastic bags without growing mould. There is no need for this additive
if bread slicer blades are kept clean. Use of 282 has
recently expanded into more foods, including cheese, fruit juices,
dried fruit and emulsifiers.
"If your child is easily annoyed, demanding, argumentative, can't
concentrate on reading or homework, is easily distracted, restless,
fidgety and can't sit still, or has difficulty settling down to sleep,
think food chemicals," said Dengate.
"The reaction is more likely to be moodiness or 'short fuse' than
hyperactivity. Loud voice, lethargy, 'growing pains', stomach aches,
headaches and bed-wetting or urinary urgency were also reported."
"This is an important public health issue. Effects of food colors on
children's behaviour and learning are well documented. Food colors are
in processed foods, which parents can choose to avoid, but this
additive is in a healthy staple eaten every day. Parents don't even
know it is there."
"Food regulators and manufacturers have failed us when it takes
research funded by community donation to investigate behavioural and
learning effects of a common preservative."
Further information is available at
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
Further information: Sue Dengate 08.8981 2444, 08.8981 2099, fx
08.8942 3099
sdengate@ozemail.com.au
See media kit on
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
|
