What is on the Internet? OK, you are looking after someone else’s Darling kids at beavers, Cubs and Scouts, but why are they all going mental. Is it something they all ate at School? It is known that some foods drive them a bit mad because of the e-numbers in them. E-numbers are just a way for the food industry to describe flavours and preservatives that they add to food in a shortened form and they arn't all bad (however if they wrote cochineal or 'Crushed up beetles' you might not want the food!). Below is a list of the baddies. Don't feed the kids any of these just before sending them home to their parents, cos that is just cruel. These are really bad: Colours Tartrazine E102 Sunset Yellow E110 Carmoisine E122 Ponceau 4R E124 Quote from the Independent Paper, 6 Sept 2007 "Additives in sweets and soft drinks made by multinational companies have been found to cause hyperactivity in children, prompting renewed calls for a ban on E-numbers.....The study strengthens a link between additives and behavioural difficulties first mooted in the 1970s....The chemicals used were two combinations of the colourings sunset yellow (E110),tartrazine (E102), carmoisine (E122) ponceau 4R (E124), allura red (E129), quinoline yellow (E104), and the preservative sodium benzoate (E211). (Soft drinks containing the preservative E211 include Pepsi Max, Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper, while the other E-numbers are to be found in many sweets and cakes.)....After drinking them, the younger children were monitored .... while the older children also sat a computer hyperactivity test.....Both drinks [] had a greater effect than the placebo....On average, children exhibited about 10 per cent of the level of symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)." Preservative Sodium Benzoate E211 Products that contain Sodium Benzoate include fizzy drinks such as Diet Coke, Orangina and Lucozade. Ribena also contains the same preservative. As well as Sodium Benzoate, Irn Bru also contains Sunset Yellow and Ponceau 4R - Mega bad, no wonder all the Scots are barmy. (Source: www.houseofstrauss.ukonline.co.uk/natural_living/eating/enumbers_used_in_food_.htm) Ones linked with other problems: Number Name Possible Effects E102 Tartrazine Colouring. Hyperactivity, asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E110 Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S Colouring. Hyperactivity, asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E122 Azorabine Carmosine Colouring. Asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E123 Amaranth Blue / red dye. Asthma, rhinitis and urticaria and carcinogenic? E124 Ponceau 4R Colouring. Hyperactivity, asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E127 Erythosine Colouring. Thyroid tumours - (mainly in cocktail cherries). E128 Red G2 Colouring. Hyperactivity. E129 Alura Red AC Colouring. Hyperactivity, asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E131 Patent Blue Colouring. Carcinogenic? E133 Brilliant Blue Colouring. Carcinogenic? E142 Green Colouring. Ongoing research into acceptable intake levels. E150c Ammonia caramel Colouring. Questions about toxicity toward circulatory systems. E151 Brilliant Black BN Colouring. Asthma, rhinitis and urticaria and cysts. E153 Vegetable carbon Colouring. Carcinogenic? E154 Brown FK Colouring. Asthma, rhinitis and urticaria and cysts. E160b Annatto Colouring. Urticaria and may create swelling and breathing problems. E161g Canathaxanthin Colouring. Crystallisation may effect eyes and liver. E171 Titanium dioxide Colouring. Carcinogenic? E173 Aluminium Colour & Cleanse. Links with osteoporosis and Alzheimer's. E180 Litholrubine Colouring. Asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E210 Benzoic Acid Preservative. Asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E213 Calcium Benzoate Preservative. To be avoided by people with fever, rashes and asthma. E216 Prpylp-hydroxybenzoate Preservative. Trigger for dermatitis. E220 Sulphur dioxide Preservative. Interferes with the absorption of many nutrients. Triggers: anaphylaxis, bronchorestriction / spasm, flushing, hypertension, damage to DNA, irritates: conjunctivitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma and cardiovascular conditions. E221 Sodium sulphite Preservative. Asthma trigger. E223 Sodium metabisulphite Preservative. Danger of severe asthmatic reaction. E226 Calcium Sulphite Preservative. Avoid if suffering: bronchial, asthmatic, emphysema, cardiovascular or respiratory problems. E239 Hexametylene (Hexamine) Preservative. Made from formaldehyde and ammonia. Carcinogenic? asthma, headaches and rashes. E249 Potassium nitrite Preservative. Colour fixative. Lowers oxygen capacity of blood, along with other substances. Carcinogenic? E282 Calcium Propionate Preservative. Hyperactivity trigger. E284 Boric acid Preservative. In caviar also in mouthwashes. Poison! Menstrual disorders, anorexia, asthenia, confusion and hair loss. E285 Sodium tetra borate (Borax) Preservative Toxic. E290 Carbon dioxide. Fizz and Preservative. Long term use reduces fertility. E308 Phosphoric acid Food additive Excessive consumption - loss of bone calcium / calcification of soft tissue - especially the kidneys. E320 Bulated Hydroxyanisole Antioxidant. Carcinogenic and DNA disrupter? E321 Bulated Hydroxytoluene Antioxidant. Often in low fat processed foods and jet fuel! Has an anti vitamin K effect may cause haemorrhaging. E331 Sodium monosodium, di-sodium and tri-sodium citrates Acidity controller. Excessive consumption could trigger muscle spasms of depress the heart. E337 Sodium potassium tartrate Emulsifier. Water retention, liver & kidney damage and to be avoided by people with heart / blood pressure problems. E339 Sodium phosphates, mono-sodium, di-sodium, tri-sodium phosphates. Emulsifier. Alzheimer's and osteoporosis trigger. E363 Succinic acid Flavour enhancer. Large doses associated with stomach disorders. E407 Carrageenan Thickener. Carcinogenic? E416 Karaya gum Emulsifier. Dermatitis, asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. E450 Diphosphates Leavening agent. Excessive use may lead to osteoporosis. E472b Lactic acid esters Emulsifier. E472c Citric acid esters. Emulsifier. Carcinogenic? E473 Sucrose esters. Emulsifier. Laxative, bloater and carcinogenic? E491 Sodium mono-sterate Emulsifier. High doses may trigger liver and bile enlargement. and retardation of growth. E508 Potassium chloride Seasoning. Circulatory and gastric problems. E512 Stannous chloride (Tin!) Antioxidant. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches and fatigue. E553b Talc. Anticaking. Respiratory distress. E570 Ferrous gluconate Colouring. Must not be given to children below 24 months old - often in olives. E620 Glutamic acid Flavour enhancer. Concern that it can kill nerve ends - Alzheimer's etc. E621 Monosodium Glutamate Flavour enhancer. In crisps, sauces, soups, stock cubes etc. "Excitotoxin" . Seizures, facial burning sensations, chest pains, bloating headaches, nausea and asthma. E626 Guanylic acid Flavour enhancer. 50 to 100 times more powerful than MSG which it is often teamed up with. Ongoing research. E635 Sodium 5'ribonucleotide Flavour enhancer. Itchy skin rashes sometimes accompanied by life-threatening breathing difficulties. E942 Nitrous oxide Propellant. Damage - DNA neurological, kidney / liver disorders, carcinogenic? E951 Aspartame Sweetener. Carcinogenic, Hyperactivity, strokes? Mimics ME, Alzheimer's. Parkinson's MS. E952 Cyclamic acid Na & Ca Sweetener. Can trigger skin disorders. E954 Saccharin Sweetener. Long suspected as carcinogenic? E966 Lacititol Sweetener. Laxative and may be mutagenic. E999 Quillaia extract saponin Foaming agent. Large doses can be toxic - coma. E1440 Hydroxy propyl starch. Thickener. Ongoing research. Worried yet?