How do food preservatives harm young children?

Eat lots of vegetables and fruits, do not put plastic bags, plastic boxes in the microwave or wash plastic with dishwashing liquid, check the recycling code of plastic containers to minimize the possibility of chemical poisoning.

The advice of pediatricians for parents is always to: restrict the use of plastic bags for food , eat less processed meats during pregnancy and eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to help Children limit the absorption of chemicals in food, because chemicals can cause many problems for children's health, including obesity as an example.

The American Society of Pediatrics (AAP) recently published a scientific report that includes guidelines for parents of young children. Along with other experts in the field of health and jurisprudence, AAP researchers expressed concern over the scientific evidence that some chemicals entering food can affect hormones themselves. of the body and leaving long-term consequences for the child's physical development.

They called for more and more frequent testing of thousands of chemicals used as food additives or indirectly put into food through processing or packaging.

Typical of these chemicals are nitrates and nitrites (NO ₃ and NO ₂ , corresponding to the codes on the common food packaging E251 and E249) used as preservatives, mainly for meat; phthalates are in plastic bags; and bisphenols are in food containers. In addition, doctors are concerned about perfluoroalkyl group chemicals (PFCs for short) used in non-stick materials; and perchlorates used for anti-static for plastic stand bags.

According to Dr. Leonardo Trasande, of the New York University School of Medicine - the lead author of the report - people can easily limit the risk of poisoning these chemicals by not eating canned foods and not using them. Use plastic bags for food.

Avoid using plastic containers when preparing food and drinks in the microwave.

A spokesman for the American Chemical Council (a trade association), Jonathan Corley, said that using chemicals is essential to maintaining food quality, which is very useful in transportation and preservation. good food. He also said that many of the chemicals that AAP claims to be toxic do not actually affect endocrine if used or infected at normal levels. However, Mr. Corley did not provide scientific evidence to protect his opinion.

In another study, scientists at the University of California, USA, used a novel method to test blood and said they had seen in the blood of pregnant women with dozens of chemicals called are environmental organic acids (EOAs) . EOAs, including bisphenol-A (BPA) have a chemical structure similar to hormones, which means they can interfere with and damage the fetal endocrine system and affect the development of the child after being released. life Experts say some of these chemicals have not previously been recorded in pregnant women 's blood, including two chemicals associated with birth defects, miscarriage and cancer.

Among the chemicals found in pregnant women, there is also a female hormone compound used in plastic products used in the food industry, in straws and plastic bottles, and a compound The Food and Drug Administration (US) has banned its use for decades, but still appears in cosmetics, pesticides as a colorant in industrial processes.

Infants and young children are extremely susceptible to the effects of chemicals in food , partly because they eat more food than adults (in a ratio between food weight and weight body). Significantly, the metabolism in the young body and the basic biological systems of the young body are still immature and in the process of development, so endocrine disorders can cause long-term consequences. long.

Professor Laura N. Vandenberg, Faculty of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachussetts (USA), representing the International Society of Endocrinology, said that only a small amount of internal disorders are needed. The secretion may also turn into disease. Many of the chemicals mentioned in the pediatric report affect children's health because they affect hormones that regulate brain development, genitals and metabolic functions. often.

According to data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (in the US), from the 1970s onwards, the number of obese children has tripled, and for every 5 children aged 6 to 9 1 child obese; disorders in the developmental stage of the child increase rapidly from the 1990s to the mid-2000s; The proportion of children and adolescents with symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes also increased.

The AAP judgment in the above report specifically criticizes FDA's regulations on additives considered safe, in which the report cites an assessment of the Government Accountability Authority for This program has identified 'with the current approval mechanism, FDA cannot guarantee the safety of additives that are or will be used'.

FDA spokeswoman Megan McSeveney said the agency did not comment on specific comments or studies, but said food safety is the most important task the agency will perform. to protect and improve the health of consumers nationwide '. Ms. Megan also said that FDA regulations that define 'safe' food substances mean 'there is a scientifically sound certainty that these substances are not harmful to health when used in Allowance ' and this definition applies to food additives, color additives and substances that are considered safe as well as substances used in food processing, packaging or handling. If new information (such as published studies or negative events reports) indicates that a substance used may be unsafe or if consumption levels have changed and possibly Affecting safety, the FDA may conduct further studies to see whether such use continues to be considered safe.

The group of pediatric specialists noted that families take the following steps to reduce the level of children infected with chemicals: Prioritize the use of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits whenever possible; Avoid using processed meat, especially during pregnancy;Avoid using plastic containers when preparing food and drinks in the microwave - including warming breastmilk or formula for children, do not expose plastic food containers to dishwashing liquid.

Use other containers instead of plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, whenever possible.

Check recycling codes at the bottom of the product and avoid plastic items with recycling codes 3, 6 and 7 as they may contain phthalates, styrene and bisphenol s, unless the containers are labeled 'biobased' ( Organic certified) or 'greenware' (not harmful to the environment) indicates that these containers do not contain bisphenols.

Wash your hands before preparing food and drink and clean vegetables and fruits that are raw and not peeled.