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Association Between Food Additives and Prevalence of Allergic Reactions in Children: A Systematic Review Publisher Pubmed



Sadighara P1 ; Safta M2, 3 ; Limam I2, 4 ; Ghanati K5 ; Nazari Z6 ; Karami M1 ; Abedini A1
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Environmental Health, Food Safety Division, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Laboratory of Materials, Treatment and Analysis, LMTA, National Institute of Research and Physicochemical Analysis, Biotechpole Sidi-Thabet, Ariana, Tunisia
  3. 3. Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
  4. 4. High School for Science and Health Techniques of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
  5. 5. National Nutrition & Food Technology Research Institute (NNFTRI), Director of Research & Education Affairs Office of International Affairs, The Member of Food Safety Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  6. 6. Food Quality and Safety Research Group, Food Science and Technology Research Institute, ACECR Mashhad Branch, Mashhad, Iran

Source: Reviews on Environmental Health Published:2023


Abstract

Food additives contain synthetic and natural chemical compounds and are one of the causes of food allergies. In this regard, it is necessary to recognize the food additives that are of special interest for children. In this survey, the relation between food additives and allergic reactions and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders in children was studied. The research studies with keywords allergic reactions, hypersensitivity, food additivesand childrenwere searched in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and SID databases, from 1984 to 2020. Three hundred twenty-seven studies were obtained and only seven articles were finally selected according to exclusion and inclusion criteria. In the final review, seven articles were selected to investigate the relationship between food additives and hypersensitivity reactions. Some clinical factors such as urticaria, eczema, rhinitis and gastrointestinal symptoms and the prevalence of laboratory evidence in atopic children are due to increased exposure to food additives including artificial colors and sweeteners, preservatives, and monosodium glutamate. Clinical signs and laboratory evidence prove a significant association between some food additives and allergenic adverse reactions. It was also found that food additives such as artificial colors and sweeteners, preservatives, and monosodium glutamate are responsible for most cases of hypersensitivity in children, and the prevalence of hypersensitivity to food additives was estimated to be about 1.2% based on data extracted from studies. © 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.