Why is preservative 202 bad

Copper is used to fashion the pot stills that make malt whisky, and it is copper that is believed to have a big role in reducing the level of sulphurs — and the associated aromas of rotten eggs and vegetables — in the final product of the whisky. Now, back to Jim Murray. In he wrote about the rampant problem of sulphur taint in whisky, and he certainly kicked up a stink. Some sherry producers will burn a sulphur candle — creating sulphur dioxide — inside the spent barrels to prevent microbial spoilage before the journey.

That smoke gets into the wood, the thinking goes, and then into the whisky as it sits there ageing. The implication here, though, is that sulphur compounds are unwanted. But some distilleries encourage that sulphurous character. Craigellachie is one of a few distilleries — Mortlach being another — that use worm tub condensers as opposed to shell and tube copper condensers; the chief difference being that there is less contact between spirit and copper using a worm tub condenser, which means there are fewer sulphur dioxide compounds removed, which means more of that sulphurous character in the final spirit — you get a richer texture on the palate and some of that smoky, meaty character along with it.

Mining sulphur dioxide. WHAT IS When it comes to preservatives used in drinks, the one that gets the attention — and the controversy — is preservative , otherwise known as sulphur dioxide, along with its sulphite cousins preservatives to What is vanilla? The history of rum in five minutes. It's been linked to migraines and behavioural and learning problems, but these reports lack scientific credibility. Preservatives that contain sulphur — including sulphur dioxide , which is used in wine, beer, fruit juices, processed foods and dried fruit — can trigger asthma attacks.

The national diet survey found that young children who eat lots of foods that contain sulphites, such as dried apricots, sausages and cordial, could be exceeding the ADI for sulphites. Exposure to benzene in food and drink may be low compared with breathing air that contains benzene from traffic pollution or tobacco smoke, but it's easily avoided. So it makes sense to steer clear of products that contain benzoates and ascorbic acid. Cancer Council Australia and WHO recommend limiting or avoiding processed meats such as sausages, frankfurts, salami, bacon and ham.

But keep in mind that the cancer risk is relatively small and that sodium nitrite prevents the growth of bacteria that cause botulism poisoning — which can be more dangerous, even deadly, in the short term.

Sulphur dioxide, which people with asthma are advised to avoid, is used as a preservative in wine. BHA, butylated hydroxyanisole , is typically added to margarine and spreads, salad dressings, walnuts and pecans, and instant mashed potato. Some studies have shown that it causes cancer in rats, mice and hamsters. But these studies are controversial because the cancer occurs in the forestomach, an organ humans don't have. It may be considered safe at the permitted low levels, but BHA can be replaced in foods by safer chemicals such as vitamin E , safer processes, or simply left out completely.

Check labels if you want to avoid it. BHA is sometimes added to walnuts and salad dressings. Artificial sweeteners can be hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. They're typically used in diet 'lite' and low-sugar foods and drinks. Reports link many of them to cancer. In the s, several studies of rats that were fed very large amounts of saccharin additive found its use was associated with a higher incidence of bladder cancer.

It was banned in Canada, and until products containing saccharin in the US had to be labelled with a warning. But research in humans largely failed to confirm that risk, and in the US government's National Toxicology Program delisted saccharin as a possible carcinogen. Research in from the European Ramazzini Foundation updated in found that feeding rats aspartame at doses that simulated the levels considered safe for humans increased the rats' risk of leukaemia, lymphoma and breast cancer.

Another intense sweetener, cyclamate , was banned in Canada, the UK and the US more than 30 years ago because animal studies indicated links to cancer, but this ban was lifted in the UK in following further studies. However, another UK survey found that some children could be consuming up to twice the ADI for cyclamate. Cyclamate is still approved for use in Australia.

In Danish researchers linked the consumption of artificially sweetened, but not sugar-sweetened, soft drinks to preterm delivery of babies. The study couldn't distinguish between the various artificial sweeteners, but aspartame and acesulfame-potassium are the most widely used. The authors suggest the cause may be the methanol released when aspartame breaks down in the container or in the body, but more research is needed.

In the meantime, pregnant women might want to avoid artificial sweeteners. In Danish researchers linked the consumption of artificially sweetened soft drinks to preterm delivery of babies. Aspartame has also been linked to headaches, allergies and changes in behaviour. But a review funded by industry of more than studies, including the Ramazzini research, concluded that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a 'non-nutritive' sweetener one that contains neither nutrients nor calories.

Many scientists remain concerned about the Ramazzini Foundation results, but FSANZ and the US food regulatory authority both told us they see no reason to change their view that aspartame is safe. Being overweight is certainly a bigger risk to your health than eating artificially sweetened products.

Sweeteners have often been recommended as a weight-loss aid, but there's conflicting research about the health credentials of artificially sweetened drinks. Some studies show that regular consumption reduces the intake of calories and promotes weight loss or weight maintenance.

But other research shows no effect, and some studies even show weight gain. There is also emerging research on the effect of artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiome and its relationship to glucose intolerance, but more studies are needed. Overall, the jury's still out on the absolute safety of artificial sweeteners, so it makes sense to limit your and your children's intake of foods and drinks that contain them.

Losing weight without the help of artificial sweeteners would be the best outcome. Those who should definitely avoid aspartame are people with the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria, or PKU, who must limit their intake of phenylalanine, an amino acid in aspartame. With globalization and increased transport efficiencies, a food item produced in a South-American country is now easily available in a South-east Asian city thousands of miles away.

The transport could take a few days or a few weeks, but adding preservatives will ensure that it is received by a customer exactly how its maker intended it to be at the time of manufacturing it. Not all preservatives are bad though; we need to learn how to differentiate the good ones from the unhealthy ones. There are basically two types of preservatives — 1.

Their chemical composition is not altered and they are not mixed with any synthetic items either. These also have, in most cases, anti-oxidant properties. We know that Anti-oxidants delay the process of oxidation or ageing as it were.