When our children are sick we generally reach for a trusted brand in the medicine cabinet.
But which brands do we really trust?
A number of over-the-counter medicines are available for things like coughs, colds, temperatures, pain relief, hayfever, etc. Many also offer specially-formulated children's versions.
But did you know that many over-the-counter children's medicines contain artificial colours which can cause hyperactivity in some children? Many more also contain the preservative E211, sodium benzoate, which can also cause severe hyperactivity.
The last time I checked, bottles of Children's Panadol offered two options - with or without artificial colours (... as if we need it with!). However all Children's Panadol bottles seem to contain E211 preservative, or sodium benzoate.
This is an appalling inclusion from a so-called trusted medical brand and is not something we expect to deal with when our children get sick.
As an alternative, Nurofen produces a children's version which does not contain artificial colours or E211 preservative (though it does have flavours). This is therefore the only children's pain killer we now allow in our house.
As for cough medicines, stay away from Robitussin if you want to avoid E211. This is identified on the back of the bottle as 'sodium benzoate'.
After we had a pretty wild ride with Robitussin recently (because I forgot to check the small print on the back!) we now use Bisolvon instead. It does not contain artificial colours or E211 and is therefore a much more useable medicine with no real side effects.
As for hayfever treatments - forget it!
I have searched high and low for a children's hayfever treatment which does not contain E211, sodium benzoate. So far I have not found a single one and have now just given up. Instead I give my son half an adult tablet of Claratyne which I figure will do the same job - without the terrible side effects.
I call on all the manufacturers of children's medicines to please be responsible with all your ingredients. If some products do not need these additives then why do we need them at all?
Friday 15 February 2013
Tuesday 5 February 2013
When and why is chocolate blue?
Many of us love chocolate and chocolate milk drinks. But what colour is this drink supposed to be?
Surely it is brown, you say.Chocolate milk is brown. But maybe it is actually blue!
Well, strange as it may seem, some chocolate milk manufacturers choose to add a 'Brilliant Blue' food colouring, known as 133, in our popular chocolate milk drinks.
Ridiculous as this sounds, it is sadly and madly true!
The next time you pick up a container of chocolate milk, check out the ingredients on the back of the bottle or carton. You may be surprised at the common inclusion of the artificial food colour known as Brilliant Blue (133). Sometimes you will also get an additional artificial colour known as Chocolate Brown HT (155). Go figure!
I picked up a bottle of Oak chocolate milk today and saw that it boasted loudly on the front that it had 'no added sugar' in its contents.
That might be so. But hidden on the back was the much smaller admission that it did contain the artificial colours 133 and 155 - otherwise known as Brilliant Blue and an extra dose of Brown HT.
Oak is not alone in its food additives for chocolate milk. Moove and other big brands are also shameless culprits.
As always, though, my question is why? Why do these big companies think we need to have chocolate products with artificial blue additives? Does it improve the taste, texture or look of the milk? Probably not.
This is particularly pertinent when other brands rely on the natural cocoa content and therefore do not use any artificial colours in their chocolate drinks. These brands include Milo, CalciYum and the Coles-own product. Thank you to these guys for sensible alternatives.
So if some manufacturers can do it without any fuss, why can't the big names like Moove and Oak also do the right thing? We really don't need blue chocolate, or any extra brown stuff either.
Chocolate is just chocolate. Leave it alone. Don't mess with it. Keep it natural and leave the artificial colours out of it.
Blue chocolate indeed!
Surely it is brown, you say.Chocolate milk is brown. But maybe it is actually blue!
Well, strange as it may seem, some chocolate milk manufacturers choose to add a 'Brilliant Blue' food colouring, known as 133, in our popular chocolate milk drinks.
Ridiculous as this sounds, it is sadly and madly true!The next time you pick up a container of chocolate milk, check out the ingredients on the back of the bottle or carton. You may be surprised at the common inclusion of the artificial food colour known as Brilliant Blue (133). Sometimes you will also get an additional artificial colour known as Chocolate Brown HT (155). Go figure!
I picked up a bottle of Oak chocolate milk today and saw that it boasted loudly on the front that it had 'no added sugar' in its contents.
That might be so. But hidden on the back was the much smaller admission that it did contain the artificial colours 133 and 155 - otherwise known as Brilliant Blue and an extra dose of Brown HT.
Oak is not alone in its food additives for chocolate milk. Moove and other big brands are also shameless culprits. As always, though, my question is why? Why do these big companies think we need to have chocolate products with artificial blue additives? Does it improve the taste, texture or look of the milk? Probably not.
This is particularly pertinent when other brands rely on the natural cocoa content and therefore do not use any artificial colours in their chocolate drinks. These brands include Milo, CalciYum and the Coles-own product. Thank you to these guys for sensible alternatives.
So if some manufacturers can do it without any fuss, why can't the big names like Moove and Oak also do the right thing? We really don't need blue chocolate, or any extra brown stuff either.
Chocolate is just chocolate. Leave it alone. Don't mess with it. Keep it natural and leave the artificial colours out of it.
Blue chocolate indeed!
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