Food colourings, preservatives, and hyperactivity

Abstract:

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Quod ali cibus est aliis fuat acre venenum (What is food to one, is bitter poison to others) is attributed to Lucretius (99–55 BC), and the sentiment could well express serious manifestations of hypersensitivity to food.

In ancient times, when eating was a major challenge for survival, the perception of adverse reactions to nutrients was probably very different from nowadays.

Today, in affluent parts of the world, adverse reactions to food can be divided into two categories: one being what is perceived as related to food but is only disrupting daily life; the other potentially leading to severe illness, such as IgE-mediated food allergy.