Chemical food allergies.... (Mini series 3)

*Disclaimer* This is my opinion based on research and our experience! It will probably rub people the wrong way or annoy some because they disagree, but this is my media ;)

A whole foods, made from scratch diet created in your kitchen at home, by you, is the best way to control all avenues. A food journal and close watch over cross contamination is key to eliminating the trigger, figuring out the triggers or excluding a trigger! It is crazy hard, aggravating, stressful, overwhelming, annoying, tear inducing, ulcer creating, gray hair producing!!!!! BUT its a productive way to help you/your child heal without the fear of side affects and the frustrations of lathering on the steroids and gulping down the preservative rich, god knows whats in them antihistimines that DON'T cure anything!!! (BTW I do use steroids when needed (rarely) and antihistimines daily when needed to help keep comfortable during the process). 

The following is a list of food chemicals that can cause allergy symptoms INCLUDING eczema!!! If you have not tried taking all of these things out of your/your child's diet you can not say eczema is not FA related! MSG can be hidden in many different names! (http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm)

Preservatives (to give food a longer shelf-life)

The SulphitesThese chemicals in the form of gases cause lung irritation and may trigger asthma. They are commonly found in liquid form in cold drinks and fruit juice concentrates, but also in wine and sprayed onto foods to keep them fresh and prevent discoloration or browning. They are used to preserve smoked and processed meats, dried fruit (apricots) and salads. In the solid form, sulphites can cause urticaria when ingested. ( E220 – E227)
Sulphur dioxide, Sodium sulphite, Sodium bisulphite, Potassium bisulphite and Potassium metasulphite.
Benzoic acid and ParabensBenzoates and Parabens have antibacterial and anti fungal properties for prevention of food spoilage. These agents are added to pharmaceutical and food products such as drinks (sugar free Coke) and occur naturally in prunes, cinnamon, tea and berries. They may cause urticaria, asthma and angioedema. (E 210 – E 219 )
Sodium benzoate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben and Heptylparaben.
AntioxidantsFat and oils in food turn rancid when exposed to air. Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (BHA and BHT) prevent this spoilage happening but can trigger asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. (E320 – 321 )
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)).

Flavour enhancers (to enhance food palatability)

Aspartame a low calorie sweetener can occasionally trigger urticaria (nettle rash), itchy hives and swelling of the body.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) which can trigger the “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” of headache and burning plus tightness in the chest, neck and face.  Found in packet soups and instant drinks. (E 620 – E 635)

Colourings (make food visually more attractive)

All colourings must now be labeled. They can trigger hives, urticaria, asthma and generalized allergic reactions.  ( E 100 – E 180 )
Azo dyes (Tartrazine) and Non-azo dyes (erythrocine)
Nitrates and Nitrites give meat a pink colour to look more attractive and found in bacon, salami and frankfurters. ( E 249 – E 252 )

Emulsifiers and stabilisers

Stop oil and water components separating, as in ketchup and mayonnaise, but do not cause adverse reactions.

Naturally occurring substances in food causing adverse reactions

Vaso-active aminesNatural Histamine, Serotonin and Tyramine occur in some ripe cheeses, fish, cured sausage, red wine, chocolate and pickled vegetables and can induce cramping, flushing, headache and palpitations in a dose related manner.
Caffeine found in foods, medication, tea, coffee and Coca-Cola induces dose dependent agitation, palpitations, nausea and tremors.
Salicylates (aspirin-like naturally occurring chemicals)Salicylates induce urticaria, asthma and nasal polyps to develop. They are found in Curry powder, paprika, dried thyme,  oranges, apricots, ginger, honey, berries and fruit skins, tea and almonds.  Salicylate sensitive individuals also tend to have adverse reactions to benzoates and tartrazine.
Always read all packaged food labels, legislation now ensures that additives must be clearly labelled. E Numbers – all additives used within the European Community must be allocated an E number.
Colourings: (E100-180)Tartrazine E102, Sunset Yellow E110
Flavourings: (E620-635)Monosodium Glutamate E620
Preservatives: (E200-297)Benzoates (E210-219), Sulphites (E220-227), Nitrates (E249-252)
Antioxidants: (E320-321)BHA (E320) & BHT (E321)

General rules for preservatives and additives:

Many E number additives are completely harmless.  Safe E numbers include: E101 Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), E200-203 Sorbate derivatives, E260 Acetic acid, E280 Propionic acid, E300-304 Ascorbic acid derivatives (Vitamin C), E330-333 Citric acids, E412 Guar gum and E578 Calcium gluconate are just a few examples,
No accurate diagnostic tests are yet available – so be suspicious of any advertised in the media.

Taken from: http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/food-allergy/food-additives/