Okay so I know a lot of FReepers are mocking this. . .BUT . . .I have something to say on this one.
As a mom of twins — very fraternal girls (that means NOT identical, as in NOT “matching” DNA) we have experienced issues with sodium benzoate for nearly 12 years now.
One of my girls is extremely sensitive to it. At their 1st birthday party, her face, neck, skin all swelled — at the time we wrote it off to the icing (the dye) on the cake. It was definitely a contact reaction (or so we thought at the time) as the places it touched v. the surrounding skin were very distinct and raised (think huge hives in the shape of wherever a one-year old spreads icing on their first birthday — it sucked!). As she got older (and up to probably age 2 or 3) she kept having reactions to things and we could *not* figure out what it was.
Somewhere along the way between ages 1 and 3, we got to the point of writing everything down, tracking her entire intake, introducing one food/month etc. The ONLY thing that consistently came up on all the lists was sodium benzoate (or benzoic acid). It is in *everything* made in the US it seems like: soft drinks — including Dr. Pepper, but ironically not Coca Cola — it is in diet foods like reduced fat margerines and salad dressings. It is also in many, many liquid medications (including DYE FREE BENADRYL LIQUID! If I recall that was one of the final clinchers to figuring out what was setting her off — she reacted to it!).
For some stupid reason Whole Foods Market allows it as a preservative in their “medical” stuff — the one cough syrup (guafanesin only) we could use added it when she was 4 or 5 — Whole Foods corporate and I had a long discussion about it and came to no conclusion other than the one place she could previously eat everything she no longer was able. They called it an acceptable preservative then, even though the UK and other countries in Europe had studies even then to the contrary.
At this point, my daughter is 12 years old. One of the first things she learned to read was labels on products — one of her first words to recognize was “sodium” — she got a chemistry lesson about sodium v. sodium benzoate at around age 5. Her reactions are no longer a visible one — she doesn’t swell up like she used to. The reactions are now more of an out of control episode. It is as if she is an ADHD child having a really bad day whenever she consumes anything with it in it.
Before anyone on here tells me I am full of it, she has been tested and observed both here in Texas and at Johns Hopkins hospital by the allergists there. Her doctor here and she have great discussions about it as he is sensitive to the taste of it (again I know you aren’t supposed to be able to taste it — but she and her doc both swear they can). It’s not a food allergy per se, as it is a preservative and it doesn’t have to be in her diet (or anyone else’s for that matter) in any way/shape/form, and we all eat healthier by not having the stuff in the house that contains it.
Interesting Links:
http://www.inchem.org/documents/cicads/cicads/cicad26.htm
http://www.sci-toys.com/ingredients/sodium_benzoate.html
http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e210.htm
http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e211.htm
~B.
Excellent post. I’ve printed it for a relative who experiences some very similar symptoms to those your twin experienced at the first birthday party, although the cause hasn’t been pinned down yet. BTW, best wishes to your twins.
Good detective work! I too have serious reactions to food additives. Flavor enhancers affect my heart and the reactions are getting stronger.
I have a chronic illness and avoid certain foods that can aggravate it. I don’t disparage this at all.
I allow myself 1 soda per week when I am not having any problems with my illness.