Ever had a craving for Yellow #5, Red #1, octyl acetate or isoamyl acetate?
Probably not’but that doesn’t mean you don’t eat them.
Artificial flavours and colours are ingredients in many processed foods‘including items that may be marketed as healthy.
That won’t be the case for long at Loblaws though.
According to The Globe and Mail, the Canadian superstore plans to remove artificial flavours and colours from their signature President’s Choice line of products (including Blue Menu, Organics and Green branded products) by the end of 2013.
‘We hear more and more concern from consumers about artificial flavours and colours and we just think it’s the right thing to do,’ Ian Gordon, senior vice-president of Loblaw Brands, told The Globe and Mail.
In Canada, food companies aren’t required to list which artificial colours they use on food labels’but that hasn’t stopped the industry from responding to concerned consumers.
Nestle, for example, has removed artificial colours from Smarties in Canada. Loblaws is following suit, albeit on a larger scale.
Though this is a step in the right direction, it’s still important to read food labels to check for other potentially harmful ingredients you may want to avoid.
-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor
Related:
‘ 10 food additives you should avoid
‘ 5 of the worst beverages you can drink
‘ Are artificial sweeteners really safe?
