Additives, preservatives and sugar - what exactly should be avoided

[Wills]

My kids are definitely showing symptoms (different within each child). I live in fear of anyone giving my eldest a fruitshoot as she becomes horrific but apart from a distinct fear of anything coloured orange I haven't a clue what else to avoid. Could mumsnetters put together a list of things I should avoid to prevent a)teenager from hell in my 9 year old and b) whirling dervishes in the 5 and 2 year olds.

hmm there must be someone out there with knowledge on such things. Please

This Australian site is brilliant, if somewhat overwhelmingly scary at first. There is a handy list of additives to avoid to print off somewhere, though you might have to spend some time going through the resources to find it. www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/

We avoid fruitshoots, and anything else with Aspartame, as I just don't think this completely synthatic substance can be any good for any of us.

Altho' we know the side effects of sugar, and they can be avoided as long as we
a) don't overdo the sugar
b) brush teeth regularly
c) run about a lot and do lots of kiddie exercise,
aspartame has not been on the market long enough to know what the effects of this stuff is on growing minds and bodies.

I avoid everything that has NO ADDED SUGAR on the packet, cos it generally means they have added aspartame.

can't be any good for any of us

I second the aspartame ban. Sugar is just another food to be taken in moderation, whereas aspartame is synthetic and continues to reach our tastebuds to want sweetness.
Its not easy to avoid as a lot of what you would think of as healthy alternatives have been heavily sweetened with it so they can put a no added sugar label on the front, from squash to baked beans.
So i pick the full sugar varities and just give them less often.

I too agree aspartame! I wont allow my kids near it as its been proved to cause cancer in fetuses. I'd rather they had sugar but in moderation. I'd rather they had no preservatives and no anything unnaturally but unfortunately I can't make everything so am trying to learn how to read labels. I know that some companies have taken to called E numbers by their more complex names in an attemmpt to "hide" them. Its sort of these things I'm after.

Singersgirl, am going to wade my way through it to see what I can find - thanks for the link.