It's simply a matter of whether we want to only eat fresh food or whether we accept that our modern way of life has to include food out of jars, cans, bottles or packages from the supermarket shelf.

If we accept that we can't all grow fresh food or keep pigs or drink mead wine any more, then we have to accept that preserving our food by using food additives is a necessary part of our modern lifestyle. However, we still have choices about what we buy. If we know what is actually in the food, then we can choose whether or not to eat it.

I believe that we should all have a chance to learn what is in our food. Don't just shove something in your mouth because it tastes good, give your yourself a chance to learn what harm it might be doing before you choose to eat it. Don't be so easily taken in by the marketing of a food product, think about the food value first, not the taste.

I have strong personal views on 2 types of Food Additives as follows :

1. Flavourings with E numbers 621 to 625 - Monosodium glutomate or others with glutomate in it - now think about it, if the manufacturers have to go to so much trouble to actually make your food taste anything like acceptable, then what on earth would it taste like without it ! YUK - These additives are so widely used to mask the disgusting processing of poor quality food, that it makes me heave. It's simply a way of deceiving us into eating the gruesome bits of dead animals that we call fat, gristle, bone, and animal organs. It's your choice, but next time you buy a so called meat pie, check out what is really in it !

2. Artificial colourings such as -

FD&C Blue No.1 - Brilliant Blue FCF (Blue shade)
FD&C Blue No.2 - Indigotine (Dark Blue shade)
FD&C Green No.3 - Fast Green FCF (Bluish green shade)
FD&C Red No.40 - Allura Red AC (Red shade)
FD&C Red No.3 - Erythrosine (Pink shade)
FD&C Yellow No.5 - Tartrazine (Yellow shade)
FD&C Yellow No.6 - Sunset Yellow FCF (Orange shade)

I have listed the above because there is still active debate on whether they should receive an outright ban or not, but basically manufacturers simply want to make the food look nice so that we are deceived into thinking that it is good for us !

So, again, it is a method of masking what the raw product is. All you have to do is decide whether what is in the product should pass your lips - it's simply your choice. But the very fact that the manufacturer has decided to alter it's appearance using these food additives, should sound alarm bells from the start.

Even more worrying though are the side effects of some artificial colourings. There is much debate about how they can make children hyperactive. There is also concern that they may cause cancer.