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Watch for the label

Preservatives can be a problem in wrong doses

Preservatives can be dangerous

Packaged foods would not exist without preservatives. Most packaged foods owe their shelf life to `Class II Preservatives'- a group distinct from Class I preservatives like common salt, sugar, dextrose, syrup, spices, vinegar or acetic acid, honey and edible oils.

Most packaged foodsdepend upon a mixture of Class I and Class II preservatives for their longevity. Class I preservatives are `natural', but they can be harmful to the wrong people, in the wrong doses. Common salt, used liberally in packaged foods can undo the effects of anti-hypertensive medication that causes the body to lose salt. Edible oils used as preservatives are usually hydrogenated vegetable oils that contain lots of artery clogging trans fats. There is no limit on how much of a class I preservative can be added to food: as long as the preservatives are of the prescribed quality, manufacturers can add as much salt, edible oil and sugar as they want.

Class II preservatives are synthetic materials, and they include benzoic acid and its salts, sulphurous acid and its salts, nitrates of sodium or potassium, sorbic acid and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts, sodium and calcium propionate, methyl or propyl parahydroxybenzoate, propionic acid, sodium diacetate and salts of lactic acid. Class II preservatives have allowed limits that vary with the type of foods in which they are used.

Class II preservatives can be a problem because most food labels do not mention exactly which chemicals are in the food. Just because they are all in the same group does not mean they are all equally safe.

Benzoic acid and its salts, used in fruit juice, carbonated drinks, pickle and preserves, is safe. Lactic acid prevents spoilages of cheese and carbonated drinks. Para hydroxy benzoic acid is a preservative in beer and non-carbonated soft drinks. Studies suggest it is safe, but it has never been tested in animals along with alcohol. Sulphur derivatives destroy vitamin B-1 and can cause severe reactions, especially in asthmatics.

RAJIV.M

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