Carrot Cake

Flagged additives

• Tartrazine — Southampton study link to hyperactivity/attention effects in children; can trigger reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Sunset yellow FCF — Southampton Six colour; hyperactivity/attention concern in children.
• Brilliant blue FCF — Synthetic dye; allergic-type reactions reported in sensitive individuals.
• Sodium benzoate — Preservative; can form trace benzene (a carcinogen) when combined with ascorbic acid; implicated in child hyperactivity studies.
• Annatto / bixin / norbixin — Natural colour; occasional allergic/intolerance reactions.
• Potassium phosphates — Inorganic phosphate additives are highly bioavailable; high additive-phosphate intake is associated with increased cardiovascular and kidney burden, particularly in chronic kidney disease.
• Calcium phosphates — Inorganic phosphate additives are highly bioavailable; high additive-phosphate intake is associated with increased cardiovascular and kidney burden, particularly in chronic kidney disease.
• Carrageenan — Degraded carrageenan, and in some animal/in-vitro studies food-grade carrageenan, are linked to intestinal inflammation; human evidence is limited and contested.