E-Numbers

Recently, food has been through a resurgence from the tradition introduced in the 80s where food and science first started to really merge. Back then, scientists were discovering all sorts of wonderful chemicals that can be added to food to make it taste nicer and look more appetising. In the last five years or so (perhaps more) there has been a strong tend towards organic, locally sourced food where you know exactly what has gone into what you are eating.

We have been taught that artificial = bad and for the most part, I have agreed because the logic made sense. I have always preferred sugar to saccharin or other sweeteners and prefer butter to margarine. Since watching this programme however, I can now see the point in these additives and now think they are probably not nearly as harmful as we might have been led to believe. I wouldn't think twice about using food colouring at home if I was baking cakes or biscuits but if the supermarkets use these things in their own products, we are outraged. Cries of 'think of the children' can be heard in the streets whenever something looks rather suspiciously blue. Smarties and other confectionery products banned artificial colours from their foods and for a number of years, there was no brilliant blue Smartie instead the colour was a more pastel variety that turned almost white if you tried to cook with it.

Personally I would have more of a problem with thinking about eating food that had been coloured with a chemical extracted from the bug of an insect than I would have if it were made in a lab. The stringent tests that new food products have to go through before being allowed into products means that the likelihood of it then turning out to be bad for us is fairly slim.

I used to be a fan of "If it tastes nice, then eat it" but more recently I will admit I have turned into a bit of a food snob. I will only buy the premium sausages, I'll avoid ready meals and turn my nose up when I see other people eating food that is less than 50% what it really should be (i.e. lasagne with only 20% meat). I will probably not revert entirely back to my old ways but perhaps I will try and be more tolerant of other people's decisions about what they eat.