What is E211?

We talk about artificial colours in our food and drink and we also talk about preservative 211. But what exactly is E211?

Well, it is a chemical preservative used in food, drinks and medicines and is otherwise known as sodium benzoate. A UK study has linked it to hyperactivity in children, especially when combined with artificial colours.

In chemistry terms it is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid. 


• Benzoic acid is often used as a food preservative to inhibit the growth of mould
• Sodium hydroxide is also known as caustic soda and is found in many strong and industrial cleaning products

Sodium benzoate is also used in cosmetics and toiletries such as body wash.

It is also used in fireworks as a fast-burning rocket fuel to help produce that famous whistling sound.

Sodium benzoate is clearly, therefore, a very powerful substance.

So, do we really need sodium benzoate in our food? 

Personally my view is a resounding "No." However, many food manufacturers seem to disagree (or not care) as this E211 preservative can be found in numerous products such as sauces, dips, confectionery, fruit juices, fizzy drinks and some medicines. I even found it in a pre-made Christmas cake.

But clearly it is not a necessary additive as many other products seem to do very well without it. Take the most obvious example, the content of fizzy drinks (not that I am advocating fizzy drinks for young children, of course). Some varieties have them and some do not.

It is fascinating to see that Coca-Cola and Pepsi do not have it in their standard cola products. However they do have it in their variants such as Diet Coke, Coke Zero and Pepsi Max. It is also present in Solo (by Schweppes), Sprite (by Coca-Cola) and others. On the other hand, it is not present in Fanta and Lift drinks (both Coca-Cola products).

Interestingly also, Schweppes lemonade is free from E211 if you buy it in a bottle format, but it does contain E211 if you buy it in the canned format.

The flavoured mineral water drinks, with ranges offered by Schweppes and Deep Spring, also contain E211. The new LOL brand of drinks do not.

As for medicines - there are so many cough mixtures which contain E211, as well as children's Panadol, children's Claratyne and others. Yet children's Nurofen and Bisolven cough mixture do not have this preservative.

Clearly my conclusion therefore has to be that this highly questionable preservative is not at all necessary for inclusion in our food. Why must our families be subjected to this additive when it is clearly not needed.

Keep using it in fireworks and cosmetics if you must. But please leave it out of our food, drinks and medicines.

Why avoid artificial food colours?

I talk a lot about the need to avoid artificial food colours and E211 preservative. I hear of other parents who say the same thing.

But why is it so important? Why do we need to make it such a big issue?

Well, it's simple - these artificial food additives affect the way our children live, grow and learn. And to me, that is critical.

The additives in our food have a profound effect on some children, including my son. Even small amounts can send them off to a faraway place where hyperactivity reigns supreme and common sense virtually disappears.

In my son's case, having a dose of these food additives is like putting him on some form of 'party drug' (or so I would imagine). He often jumps around untamed, doesn't listen or think and has no sense of focus or reason.

Many children are active and busy, my son included. But the impact of artificial food colours is so much greater than simply having a busy child. In our case it a major issue because my son seems to move into another realm where he is often difficult to reach. His behaviour goes down hill and his focus is out the window.

And then, when the additive effects finally wear off, he will often collapse in a crumpled heap of tears or tiredness, seemingly unaware of the exhausting trail he has left behind.

My son went through a bad phase in kindergarten a few years ago (before we really got on top of his eating habits). At one point his teacher said to me: "I can always tell when your son is going to have a bad day because I can see it in his eyes when he comes into class."

I've never forgotten that comment, and in hindsight it was so true. His eyes do change when he is on these food additives. They are wider and wilder, they do not focus, and they do not seem to see things quite the same as we do.

The impact of food colours and E211 in those days was significant. He would lose concentration and had no sense of reason, which meant he was always in some sort of trouble. He also became unruly and dysfunctional in class, and he stopped being invited to other children's birthday parties.

More importantly, he did not learn effectively and slipped backwards in class. This was not because he was academically incapable, he is actually quite smart young lad, but it was because he was living in a kind of drug-infused (additive-infused) fog which prevented him for thinking clearly and learning effectively.

Since managing his diet more closely, however, and eliminating all artificial colours and 211 preservative from his food, my son has been much more productive. He is still busy and active but he listens more, he can focus well and he is keen to learn new things.

To me this is a critical factor in why we need to eliminate these negative additives from our food. Yes, it is always good to eat fresher, healthier and additive free, but more importantly we also need to stop inhibiting our children's ability to learn and develop on a social, emotional and academic level.

If we want productive, happy and functioning children who are willing and able to learn and develop, then lets give them a good start and eliminate all those artificial colours and unnecessary preservatives that simply get in the way.

Our modern world is challenging enough. Let's not make it any harder for our children to learn and explore it and establish their own roles within it.