04/10/2026
👧🧒 Kids’ Nutrition Series | Food additives
Food additives are assessed for safety and, for most children, foods containing permitted additives can form part of a normal diet.
However, some children may be sensitive to particular additives. Tartrazine, benzoates and sulphites are examples that have been associated with adverse reactions in susceptible individuals, including hypersensitivity-type reactions and, particularly with sulphites, respiratory symptoms in people with asthma.
The key message? There is no need to fear every E-number. Instead:
🥕 Base most meals and snacks around nutritious, minimally processed foods
🏷️ Get into the habit of reading ingredient labels
👀 Look for patterns if your child repeatedly develops symptoms after particular foods
👩⚕️ Speak to a GP or appropriately qualified health professional before unnecessarily eliminating foods from a child’s diet
Every child is different, and a suspected reaction deserves proper assessment rather than unnecessary restriction.
