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Chinese kids eat food additives banned overseas
By Zhao Wen |
December 24, 2012, Monday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
Food additives already banned in some foreign countries are found in children's snacks in China, which may harm the health of youngsters, according to a survey released yesterday by iEarth, a Beijing-based non-government organization.
The survey interviewed 12,000 students, aged six to 12, in 39 elementary schools in nine mainland cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an.
One third of them said they felt uncomfortable after eating snacks such as ice creams, instant noodles, biscuits and chewing gums -- all of which contained food additives, the survey says.
Instant noodles, including its seasonings, are found to contain up to 25 kinds of additives, more than other snacks surveyed. Long-term intake of monosodium glutamate and citric acid in the noodles can cause mood disorder and hypocalcemia, the survey says.
Other food additives such as synthetic colors of carmine, tartrazine, sunset yellow and brilliant blue are widely found in ice creams, biscuits and chewing gums. Most of them have been banned from use in food in western countries such as the United States, Australia, Germany and Norway.
The survey says 57.7 percent of children's snacks are bought by parents and only 8 percent of the parents say they forbid their child to eat snacks containing food additives. About 73 percent of the children say they will continue to eat the snacks despite their parents' interference.
The survey says the situation is worrisome because Chinese children eat an excessive amount of food additives which are harmful to their health and growth.
The Beijing NGO is warning Chinese parents against the danger of food additives and urging them to give their child a healthy diet.
The survey interviewed 12,000 students, aged six to 12, in 39 elementary schools in nine mainland cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an.
One third of them said they felt uncomfortable after eating snacks such as ice creams, instant noodles, biscuits and chewing gums -- all of which contained food additives, the survey says.
Instant noodles, including its seasonings, are found to contain up to 25 kinds of additives, more than other snacks surveyed. Long-term intake of monosodium glutamate and citric acid in the noodles can cause mood disorder and hypocalcemia, the survey says.
Other food additives such as synthetic colors of carmine, tartrazine, sunset yellow and brilliant blue are widely found in ice creams, biscuits and chewing gums. Most of them have been banned from use in food in western countries such as the United States, Australia, Germany and Norway.
The survey says 57.7 percent of children's snacks are bought by parents and only 8 percent of the parents say they forbid their child to eat snacks containing food additives. About 73 percent of the children say they will continue to eat the snacks despite their parents' interference.
The survey says the situation is worrisome because Chinese children eat an excessive amount of food additives which are harmful to their health and growth.
The Beijing NGO is warning Chinese parents against the danger of food additives and urging them to give their child a healthy diet.
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