Drugs in Food and Kids

1st November, 2025

Food contains many chemicals, macro nutrients like carbs, protein and fats, micro nutrients like vitamins, minerals, food contains fibre, antioxidants, phytonutrients that gives our foods colours and fight disease. Some foods contain other components like preservatives, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners. Any chemical that is taken for a desired purpose is technically called a drug.

The chemicals in food are no different to medications in the way our body manages them. With any chemical ingested, there is that sweet spot where it causes no harm and perhaps does its job adequately.  Too little of an essential nutrient and there can be signs and symptoms of deficiency.  Too little of a medication and it is not effective.  If you have too much of a medication, chemical or nutrient, this can lead to unwanted symptoms (such as rashes, gut upset, nausea, poor appetite, headaches, neurological symptoms to name a few) or side effects and possibly disease.  With food chemicals, reactions can be delayed up to 2-3 days after consumption, and symptoms can last up to 2-3 weeks.

There are thousands of chemicals in foods that we do not know much about as we have not researched them.  As Dietitians we say everything in moderation for this reason and we also recommend eating mostly fresh wholesome foods.

We all know babies are sensitive.  Most people would not feed a baby spices or acidic foods as they are too strong on their gut.  As children grow, they become less sensitive and things in food become less of a concern.  However, our food has changed a lot in the last 50-100 years. We are consuming more discretionary foods (30% of the average Australian’s energy intake), more processed foods and more foods that have more concentrated flavours than ever before.   After all, you cannot ‘sell’ bland or less tasty food.

Children are consuming these in high amounts because they are offered and available everywhere they go: kindy, school, all social gatherings not just parties, sports organisations and services like the hairdresser and health appointments.  For example, the birthday cake used to be the birthday treat, now it can be hard to find an ‘everyday food’ at a party especially when you go to a kid’s party venue.  Canned tomatoes never used to have tomato puree added, soy sauce used to be used sparingly as a flavour enhancer, just like salt, fruit concentrate is added to many foods and when making a stew we use stock, gravy, and a can of tomatoes (with puree) instead of just adding fresh herbs, fresh vegetables, and a little salt.

When foods are processed, they lose taste, can change colour, and texture and require preservatives to be available at the supermarket, so food manufacturers use lots of different chemicals for these reasons. The more the food is processed, i.e. the more ingredients, and less it looks like real food, the more these foods can be an issue for sensitive individuals, whether it is because of the additives or the concentrated flavours.

Colours – artificial and some natural

There is good research that shows these numbers: E102, 104, 110, 122, 123, 124, 127, 129, 132, 133, 142, 143, 151, 155, 160b (annatto) cause all types of food reactions in sensitive individuals, and many children, being little people, tend to be sensitive individuals.

Despite FSANZ’s reporting that children’s intake of these are low and they believe that the studies that have been done are not good enough for them to take action to ban these like some other countries have, there are many health professionals and families who have seen is a cause and effect with these numbers with children’s mood, behaviour, gut as well as other symptoms like sleep, headaches, poor concentration, rashes, sinus issues, asthma type issues to name a few.

Flavour Enhancers

Flavour enhancers make you want to eat more. Salt is the original flavour enhancer, but we know that glutamates (like MSG- sodium mono-glutamate) naturally occur in many foods like citrus, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and Asian sauces.   If people are sensitive, they can react to the following: E620-625, 627, 631, 635, Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (HVP) with various symptoms as mentioned above.

Preservatives

Preservatives have been used in food for centuries.  Salt, sugar, spices, and various types like:

• Sorbates: E200-203 found in margarine, soft cheeses, yoghurts, drinks
• Benzoates: E210-219 found in drinks, marinades
• Sulphites: E220-228, found in dried fruit, drinks, sausages, alcohol, vinegar, potato chips/wedges. Not enough evidence to recommend a safe amount for kids
• Nitrates: E249-252: found in deli meats, known to increase risk of cancer
• Propionates: E280-283: bakery preservative
• Synthetic antioxidants E310-12, 319-321: found in oils

Aspirin was added to food as a preservative but then taken out due to people exhibiting side effects.  Aspirin is a salicylate, a natural food chemical present in all plants. It is the plants' chemical defence or immune system, making it taste bitter so animals do not eat it. Salicylates are high in many foods we eat especially in herbs, spices, fruit concentrate, tomato-based sauces and are a relative of some of the preservatives and colours mentioned above, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

People with asthma are often advised against taking aspirin, and as Dietitians we need to be careful when working with people with asthma, hives/skin swelling or heart palpitations when investigating food intolerance reactions to salicylates, sulphites, and MSG.

You can learning more at Royal Prince Alfred Allergy Unit https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/default.html and the Food intolerance Network: https://www.fedup.com.au/

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are advised not to be consumed in children under 2 years old or pregnant women due to limited research. They are not recommended for children as it impacts taste preferences, increases sugar cravings and over eating, and this often leads to chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease, eating disorders and even nutritional deficiencies.

Caffeine

Caffeine is in chocolate (and chocolate flavours), tea, coffee, cola, sports supplements, and energy drinks.  It increases anxiety, sleep disturbance and can cause heart palpitations.  The recommended safe amount for adults is 240mg daily or the equivalent of 3 instant coffees or 6 teas daily.

For under 18 years, no more than 3mg/kg is recommended or 120mg for a 40kg child.  However, for a child 9-13 years, 1 cola drink would be 7-9% of their daily energy intake, meaning they will not eat the nutritious foods their growing body needs, which can possibly lead to deficiencies or they will learn to overeat.

Energy drinks with guarana, which contains caffeine, is age restricted to purchase in some countries.

Tea contains less caffeine than coffee but also has L-theanine which assists calmness. However, tea also contains tannins which reduces iron absorption.  This can lead to iron deficiency, a very common condition (20% of 3-year-olds have iron deficiency), which impacts concentration, sleep, appetite, fussy eating, neurodevelopment, and emotional regulation.

Make The Change Happen

1. Work towayds buying nothing from a packet or have an ‘ingredients kitchen.’ Buy fresh wholesome foods and learn to cook from scratch. This will take time! Get everyone to help with meal planning, shopping, cooking, and start a herb and vegetable garden.
2. Sign petitions like these calling to ban junk food advertising to kids and improve baby foods:  https://www.foodforhealthalliance.org.au/ or start your own petition.
3. Write to food companies to improve their products.
4. Write to schools, sports organisations, kid’s party venues etc asking to change their ingredients and food options available to better, health promoting and performance enhancing options.
5. Write to your school to ask to change the policy around using food as a reward and celebrating birthdays so kids can choose a song to dance to or choose an activity of choice to celebrate their birthday instead of bringing birthday cake.
6. Ask for the removal of vending machines at places they are located.
7. Write to your local member of parliament to change our food environment to one that supports health and well-being:

• Ban pre-schools and kindergartens in providing discretionary foods when not part of the menu.
• Put an age restriction on allowing children to purchase discretionary foods especially caffeinated beverages at schools, sports organisations canteens, party venues, supermarkets, take-away shops etc.
• Ban using discretionary foods used as free gifts or rewards to children such as at school, sports organisations, shops, festivals, fairs and services.
• Put a restriction on the amount of high fat take away venues allowed in your local council area.
• Put in place a processed food tax
• Put a limit on the shelf space and number of discretionary foods sold at all food shops. Using a ratio of the recommended ‘Everyday foods’ to ‘Sometimes foods’: 17.5:1 ‘Everyday foods (2 fruit, 5 veg, 3 dairy/alternatives, 2 meat/alternatives, 6 wholegrains) : maximum of 1 ‘Sometimes’ or ‘discretionary’ or ‘highly processed’ food.

Check out The Bright Shop for our Additives to Avoid Cards and Positive Parent Party Guide to share with your, family, friends and community.