The 20 Worst Snacks
Here’s our 20 worst snacks – see below the table for analysis:
Diet Coke
SNR -56
There are nine ingredients in Diet Coke, including two artificial sweeteners. 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives that were reported to the US Food and Drugs Administration have involved Aspartame. The American food watchdog agency, the CSPI, has repeatedly expressed concerns about the carcinogenic effects of Acesulfame K.
A client came to me a few years ago who was drinking in excess of 3 litres of Diet Coke a day. She not only wanted to lose weight but help to function again. Her symptoms included constant headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, breathing difficulties and joint pain. After she had been weaned from her Diet Coke habit her symptoms disappeared.
Fanta Fruit Twist
SNR -43
In this great looking can of fizzy drink, I was expecting to find lots of fruit. However, upon examination of the ingredients I was disappointed to find just orange.
Amongst the thirteen ingredients we find the fateful trio of artificial colourings, Quinoline Yellow (E104), Carmiosine (E122) and Ponceau 4R (E124). The Food Standard Agency has requested that manufacturers cease using these additivies by the end of 2009.
Research from Southampton University argued that six artificial colourings, including the three above, have no nutritional value whatsoever. Research found a measurable effect on the activity levels and attention span of children when they consumed a cocktail of these artificial colourings together with Sodium Benzoate, which is also present in Fanta Fruit Twist.
The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) recommends that these food additives should not be consumed by children.
In July 2010, the EU will make it mandatory to put cigarette-style warning labels on products that include these colourings.
Those of you with a sweet tooth will be pleased to know that Fanta Fruit Twist also contains almost two thirds of your GDA of sugar!
Revels
SNR -43
In a 35gram pack there are a whopping 36 ingredients!
Just one packet of Revels will provide the average adult with over 15% of the recommended daily allowance of fat and 10% of the daily calorie requirement.
So far, so good.
However, for a typical 5-year girl*, one packet of Revels will provide almost a third of her recommended daily allowance of fat together with nearly quarter of her daily allowance of sugar.
Revels also contain Quinoline Yellow (E104), Carmiosine (E122) and Ponceau 4R (E124) which the Food Standard Agency has requested that manufacturers cease using by the end of 2009.
In July 2010, the EU will make it mandatory to put cigarette-style warning labels on products that include these colourings.
* Assuming a weight of 42 pounds and a height of 3 foot 6 inches, giving a daily energy requirement of 1156kcal.
Minstrels
SNR -44
Of the nineteen ingredients in Minstrels, there are four artificial colourings. The Food Standard Agency has requested that manufacturers cease using three of these artificial colourings by the end of 2009. They are Quinoline Yellow (E104), Carmiosine (E122) and Ponceau 4R (E124).
Research from Southampton University argued that six artificial colourings, including the three above, have no nutritional value whatsoever. Research found a measurable effect on the activity levels and attention span of children when they consumed a cocktail of these artificial colourings together with Sodium Benzoate, which is present in many fizzy drinks.
The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) recommends that these food additives should not be consumed by children.
In July 2010, the EU will make it mandatory to put cigarette-style warning labels on products that contain these colourings.
Peanut M & M’s
SNR -44
We have a whopping 22 ingredients in a 45 gram packet of Peanut M & M’s. One of these ingredients, Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat, has been linked to clogging of the arteries and heart disease. Experts agree that the Hydrogenated Fats found in processed vegetable oils can raise blood cholesterol. The hydrogenation process increases the shelf life and flavour stability of foods but provides no nutritional value.
The Food Standards Agency advises people to reduce the amount of fat that they consume particularly hydrogenated or saturated fats.
Bassett’s Jelly Babies
SNR -43
Who can forget the thrill of our first bag of jelly babies. Those multi-coloured little people that just tasted so good! If you have ever run the London Marathon, you will know that you receive a packet of jelly babies in the goodie bag at the end of the race. After running 26.2 miles, you will receive a well deserved boost of energy from these little sweets as they contain more than a third of your recommended daily calorie intake!
Anybody fancy some crushed insect carcasses?
These sweets also contain a red colouring called Carminic Acid which is a by product of the digestive process of the cochineal insect. This red colouring is extracted from the raw dried and pulverised bodies of the female insect. It takes about 155,000 insects to make one kilogram of the colouring.
I guess I’ll just stick to the green ones!
Twisted
SNR -42
One of the main reasons that this product is in our bottom 10 product list is because this 45 gram snack contains more than a third of an adult’s GDA allowance of sugar. It also contains an artificial colouring called Sunset Yellow.
Sunset Yellow has been observed to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions, particularly amongst those with aspirin intolerance. Other reactions can include gastric upset, vomiting, rashes and other skin swelling. It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
In April 2008, the Food Standards Agency recommended that Sunset Yellow be removed from food and drink sold in Britain by the end of 2009.
In July 2010, the EU will make it mandatory to put cigarette-style warning labels on products that include colourings such as Sunset Yellow.
Oasis Citrus Punch
SNR -32
On the face of it, this looks like a really healthy drink. But we look a little closer, we see that it is just a cocktail of artificial sweeteners and colourings. As well as Aspartame and Acesulfame K, we also find Quinoline Yellow (E104).
75% of the adverse reactions to food additives that were reported to the US Food and Drugs Administration have involved Aspartame. The American food watchdog agency, the CSPI, has repeatedly expressed concerns about the carcinogenic effects of Acesulfame K.
Quinoline Yellow (E104) is a synthetic ‘coal tar’ dye varying in colour between a dull yellow and greenish-yellow. The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) recommends that Quinoline Yellow should not be consumed by children.
In July 2010, the EU will make it mandatory to put cigarette-style warning labels on products that include Quinoline Yellow.
Lucozade Original
SNR –35
Lucozade Original contains Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate and Sunset Yellow, together with a substantial dose of sugar in the form of glucose syrup.
The caffeine in Lucozade makes you feel more awake. However, there are side effects of caffeine which include headache, irritability, insomnia, diarrhea, hyperactivity, and depression which often occur during withdrawal. Excessive doses can make it difficult to sleep.
Sodium benzoate, also known as benzoic acid, is often used as a natural preservative in liquid drinks and in manufactured food. However, when you mix sodium benzoate with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), also present in Lucozade, the chemical reaction turns the mixture into benzene which is a proven carcinogen.
Sunset Yellow has been observed to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions, particularly amongst those with aspirin intolerance. Other reactions can include gastric upset, vomiting, rashes and other skin swelling. It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HACSG) recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
In July 2010, the EU will make it mandatory to put cigarette-style warning labels on products that include colourings such as Sunset Yellow.
Irn-Bru
SNR –32
Irn-Bru, well they named it right. The drink looks like the can bright orange, ginger orange not orange. It has been described as “An oversweet concoction with a shockingly artificial colour better left to the imagination. It tastes something like a cross between bubblegum, cream soda and burnt plastic!”
Amongst the ingredients is Sunset Yellow (E110), which is one of six ingredients that are being lobbed for removal in 13 days time, which will be at the end of 2009.
Sodium Benzoate, which is also present in Irn-Bru, is used to stop fizzy drinks going mouldy. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that the chemical can deactivate parts of DNA, the genetic code in the cells of living creatures. Coca-Cola said it was withdrawing the additive from Diet Coke in response to consumer demand for more natural products.
Therefore, it is somewhat disappointing that soft drinks group AG Barr, the manufacturer of Irn Bru, has said it has no immediate plans to sign up to the Food Standards Agency’s voluntary ban on artificial colourings, which have also been linked to hyperactivity in children.