Food additives may be harmful to children
School season is just starting and an important part to any student’s day is their lunch. Parents might want to be on the lookout for what their kids are eating as a new report is calling for stronger safety food guideline.
The American Academy Of Pediatrics is warning families about common food additives such as bisphenols also known as BPA’s, and nitrates as they may be harmful to children.
Doctor Patti Perry with the Yuma Regional Medical Center said, “These chemicals can affect the hormones in the system the BPA’s act like estrogen so that can be harmful to a child.”
BPA’s are used to harden plastic containers and line metal cans. They can also potentially increase body fat and affect the nervous and immune systems. Nitrates are also chemicals that are used to preserve meats in foods such as hot dogs, sausages, and cold cuts. This type of food additive has also been associated with gastrointestinal cancer and some brains tumors.
Doctor Perry recommends avoiding food colorings as well, as some of them may make children with ADHD symptoms worse.
“You may wanna look for the labels on your plastics…On the bottom there should be some numbers, you want to watch out for number 3 and number 7 because those could contain BPA’s that can leach out into your products,” said Dr. Perry.
A safer alternative is using glass or stainless steel containers. If you do end up using plastic look for ones that are labeled biobased or greenware.
