Food Feature - What exactly are 'E' numbers ?
E numbers are codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union. The numbering scheme follows that of the International Numbering System (INS) as determined by the Codex Alimentarius committee. Only a subset of the INS additives are approved for use in the European Union, giving rise to the 'E' prefix.
E numbers are also encountered on food labeling in other jurisdictions, including the GCC, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. They are increasingly (though still rarely) found on North American packaging, especially in Canada.
- 100–199 Colours
- 200–299 Preservatives
- 300–399 Antioxidants & acidity regulators
- 400–499 Thickeners, stabilisers & emulsifiers
- 500–599 pH regulators & anti-caking agents
- 600–699 Flavour enhancers
- 900–999 Miscellaneous
- 1100–1599 Additional chemicals New chemicals that do not fall into standard classification schemes
NB: Not all examples of a class fall into the given numeric range. Moreover, many chemicals, particularly in the E400–499 range, have a variety of purposes.
Are E numbers 'bad for you' ?
Before food was bought in shops, our food came from the land and farms. Back then food additives weren’t usually necessary because we only ate the food that we could grow, normally eating it on the day it was harvested. Today, however, food has to survive transport from all over the world and it can sometimes take up to six weeks from the moment it is picked from the field to it's arrival on a supermarket shelf. Many of the E numbers help this food to get to us in an unspoiled way.
Contrary to what we sometimes read and hear, most food additives are harmless and natural in substance. Even though scientific research has not come up with any specific reasons why food additives should be banned, it is still prudent to look at lists of additives at the back of food products. The main criticism of additives is that they are suspected of causing allergies; this is seen in some studies as it relates to colourings. Remember when Rowntree removed all the artificial colourings from Smarties in 2006? This was in response to consumer's concerns about allergies. Also, if additives are consumed in large quantities at one time, they could poison the consumer, for example, ten cans of a certain fizzy drink each day.
Finally, some additives are known to be carcinogenic (cancer causing) and recent studies into E211 Sodium Benzoate when mixed with vitamin C (in fizzy drinks) are of much concern. According to reports however, the average person is in no danger from additives providing they do not consume them in extremely large quantities.
This page is used purely to illustrate the sidebar quiz and should not be construed as health advice.
