Artificial flavours and preservatives can be found in a variety of foods purchased in supermarkets today. Many people try to avoid eating products containing these added ingredients due to the concern they can be harmful to health and well-being. Certainly there are more benefits to eating whole, natural foods that don’t contain these chemicals, but is it really possible to avoid artificial flavours in food altogether?

Chemicals in food

All foods, natural and refined, are made up of chemicals. Even fruits and vegetables grown in pure soil contain them. Our taste and smell is a natural response to these chemicals, and the production of artificial flavours and preservatives is simply a means of enhancing our perception of certain foods – thus encouraging us to buy and eat them.

Artificial flavours are produced in a laboratory and come from anything that is inedible, such as petroleum. These sources are used to create chemicals of flavourings to improve the taste of certain foods and drinks, such as sweets, crisps and soft drinks. The process is cost-effective and relatively eco-friendly as it does not involve growing lots of foods.

Modern preservatives, such as sulphur compounds, are also man made chemicals – made from synthetic chemicals. They are added to foods such as bread, cheese, dried fruit, processed meats and wine in order to prevent them from spoiling. Acidic in nature, preservatives work by killing organisms such as yeast, mould and bacteria that would naturally grow on foods. In many ways this helps to keep food safe for consumption, and gives consumers a greater range to choose from.

Are artificial flavours and preservatives harmful?

There is a lot of debate around this, but generally it is believed that eating lots of foods with artificial flavours and preservatives could be harmful to health. The body can react to all kinds of natural and artificial chemicals found in foods, but particular ‘additives’ may cause severe reactions in sensitive people.

Although artificial flavours and preservatives added to foods are subject to pre-market safety assessments and testing, it is impossible to know just how many, and what types have been added to certain foods. It is a legal requirement that food manufacturers mention the addition of these chemicals on food labelling, but they are not required to list which ones. This means eating a single bag of crisps could see you putting hundreds of unnatural substances into your body.

Although it may seem daunting identifying foods that don’t contain artificial flavours and preservatives, there are a number of brands opting to remove them from the manufacturing process.

At Campbell’s we are dedicated to providing real, honest hearty soups, rice and pasta meals that contain completely natural flavours. We care about our ingredients and customers, so you won’t find any artificial flavours or preservatives in our products. For more information, take a look at our Condensed Soups page.