Most people know that salty and sugary foods can be bad for you. But other dangerous ingredients can be harder to spot. Rehan from King’s College School in Wimbledon investigates the hidden hazards in our food.
Time to declare war on processed food
Most people know that salty and sugary foods can be bad for you. But other dangerous ingredients can be harder to spot. Rehan from King's College School in Wimbledon investigates the hidden hazards in our food.
"Hazardous!", screamed the food analysing app Yuka when I scanned my favourite chocolate bar! Most of us know sugary, fatty, salty snacks are bad for us. But did you also know that hidden dangers could be lurking in your chocolate, crisps or biscuits?
These treats are mostly Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) - foods manufactured in factories with ingredients that you can't find in your kitchen. Many are loaded with sneaky additives to add colour, texture, taste and to make you crave more junk. They are linked to major health problems like cancer, diabetesA medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood. , heart disease and ADHDAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental health condition that can cause above-normal levels of energetic and impulsive behaviours.. Dr. Chris van Tulleken, an expert on the topic, spoke at our school recently and warned that UPFs have invaded our diets.
Additives are hard to spot, often hiding behind complicated names and E-numbers. Apps like Yuka and OpenFoodFacts which analyse products based on ingredients are helpful for detecting. I investigated over 3001 treats on Yuka - the popular2 ones in the UK, some premium options, and some making health or sustainability claims.
Here are my findings:
So, what should we do? Completely ditching packaged snacks is an option, but life would be boring without the occasional treat! We need to be savvy and make informed choices. While our favourites may be hiding hazards, we can find alternatives! Most flavours of Doritos tortilla chips score poorly but I found Doritos Dippers that gets the green light.
My advice: scan the barcode using an app like Yuka or OpenFoodFacts (ask an adult). Some say that the apps are too strict but at least they give you an idea.
Better still - flip the packet and read the list of ingredients - "flavour enhancers", "emulsifiers", "stabilisers" or anything that you can't pronounce or recognise should be a hazard warning!
As for me, I'll switch to dark chocolate. Who knows? Maybe I'll grow to like it!
Keywords
Diabetes - A medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood.
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental health condition that can cause above-normal levels of energetic and impulsive behaviours.
Time to declare war on processed food
Glossary
Diabetes - A medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood.
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental health condition that can cause above-normal levels of energetic and impulsive behaviours.