Can people be allergic to food additives?

Many people are allergic or intolerant to foods such as milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and wheat. In fact, about one in every fifty individuals is allergic to some food substance. Allergic reactions include migraine headaches, diarrhoea, respiratory problems and skin rashes. In contrast, however, intolerance to food additives has been shown to be uncommon.

Among the most recent and reliable investigations into food additive intolerance was carried out by a regional authority in the United Kingdom which found that 3 out of 18,000 respondents exhibited any intolerance to food additives. This finding agreed with an earlier estimate by experts of the European Commission. Therefore, among adults, food additive intolerance appears to be very rare.

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