Packet Fried Foods and Food Additives

BHA ,TBHQ and BHT

These are highly effective synthetic antioxidants used in combination as preservatives in food items that have unsaturated vegetable oils and edible animal fats. They prevent oxidation even in the presence of strong oxidising agents and thereby preserve the flavour and aroma of the recipe to which they are added. They extend the shelf life of the product. They are known to be carcinogenic and induce hyperactivity in children. To identify BHA, TBHQ and BHT on food label as food additives, one could refer to the E numbers E319, E320 and E321.

Olestra

Olestra is an indigestible fat substitute used in fried and baked foods. It also preserves fats and prevents them from becoming rancid. Olestra has many ill effects on health – it inhibits absorption of certain nutrients and is linked to gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhoea, gas, cramps and gastrointestinal bleeding, and can also result in hyperactivity, asthma, dermatitis, chronic urticaria, imbalanced estrogen levels, etc.