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Additives are chemicals put into food products to enhance them, and include colouring, flavouring, and preservatives to extend shelf life. Most food additives are considered safe. However, some have been linked to cancers, and neurological diseases such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Others are known to produce adverse reactions, such as allergies, hyperactivity in children, asthma, and migraines.

Health Effects
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are antioxidants that prevent the colour, flavour, or texture changes that occur when foods are exposed to air. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organisation) considers BHA and BHT carcinogenic. Repeated studies show that BHA and BHT increase the risk of cancer, accumulate in body tissue, cause liver enlargement, and retard cell development. The additives that cause the majority of problems include aspartame, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and some dyes.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that replaces sugar in many products. Some of the reactions are itching, respiratory allergies, headaches, dizziness, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, memory loss, heart palpitations and angioedema or swelling of the eyelids, lips, hands or feet. For latest see "Food Scares"

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavour enhancer, this has no taste but 'draws' out the natural flavour in foods. A small percentage of people react to MSG with symptoms such as headache, tight painfull chest, rapid heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea and sweating. MSG has been linked with neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Salt is both an essential mineral and an unwanted additive. Three quarters of our salt comes from processed foods. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which triples your risk of developing heart disease - whatever your age. More from Foods Standards Agency

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