The Food Intolerance Network provides information and support for people worldwide using a low-chemical elimination diet free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers (FAILSAFE) for health, behaviour and learning problems.
Focus:
Disruptive school behaviour and food additives
A marvellous story
Hidden bread preservative causes a “very, very unpleasant detour”
Doctors and food intolerance
Beware: paracetamol during pregnancy
Retrain your brain and reclaim your health workshop
Cook's corner: look out for the latest At the Failsafe Table #73
Success stories: [1647] – [1654]
[1654] One-liners (February 2023)
[1653] "change in their behaviour, health and learning on the protocol was miraculous" (February 2023)
[1652] Salicylates: “Life soon improved for everyone” (January 2023)
[1651] "I don't have the words to describe the difference it's made on my mental state" (January 2023)
[1650] Elimination diet: "the simplification is a silver lining!" (November 2022)
[1649] 160b: Annatto causes “terrible migraines” (November 2022)
[1648] 202: Sorbates cause “nasal congestion and irritation!” (November 2022)
[1647] Hidden bread preservative “took us on a very, very unpleasant detour” (September 2022) COURAGE AWARD
Is there an antidote for salicylates?
How can I find out what is in a medicine or supplement besides what is on the label?
Can I still get to view that Autism Summit presentation from Sue Dengate please?
Frequently Asked Questions
Rosemary (high in salicylates) coming soon to a food near you
Cabbages for osteoarthritis?
Diet central to Hippocratic oath
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) looks at nitrosamines
New European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) structure takes effect
Sue Dengate's famous presentation “Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour”
Red food colour alters digestive tract lining
Blue food colouring 133 now linked to ADHD
No free lunch with ‘sugar-free’ sweeteners
Gout Attacks Increase the Risk for Heart Attacks and Strokes
Can supplements or diet reduce symptoms of arthritis?
Updated complete list of food additives, with those to avoid highlighted
AVOID those fluoro-yellow potato chips
The “Personal, medications and supplements” page has been changed
Food Intolerance Resources from RPAH; SPECIAL OFFER on Friendly Food
Factsheets: over 100 science-based information sheets on symptoms and additives. See also video resources. See also story collections
Support community: Failsafers talking to each other. New and updated dietitians.
Hello everyone
Newsletter 106 is below, thanks to all who contributed.
Highlights: disruptive classroom behaviour; beware paracetamol during pregnancy; beware added rosemary extract is high salicylate; doctors and food intolerance; brain retraining course by a failsafe dietitian; beware artificial yellow colour in hot chips; research links artificial blue colour 133 to ADHD
Popular reader stories include:
*Severe mental and physical salicylate symptoms” - capsaicin trial “changed my life” [1651]
*we avoided 282 like the plague – until they gave it an innocent name” COURAGE AWARD [1647]
*miraculous” change - health worker “unaware of nasty additives” [1653]
*life soon improved for everyone especially my daughter” - eliminating salicylates [1652]
*within 24 hours I suffer from terrible migraines” - "natural" colouring 160b, 53 year old woman [1649]
*nasal congestion/ irritation” - sorbate preservative 202 in commercial hummus [1648]
Disruptive school behaviour and food additives
Disruptive behaviour in Australian classrooms is some of the worst in the world. It is such a huge issue there is now a senate enquiry.
Why don’t they consider food additives? Australia has some of the worst additive overuse in the world. It is time our government stood up to the food industry!
The Food Intolerance Network has made a detailed submission that says that there is a proven practical way to reduce disruption in Australian classrooms.
In it, we link to some large interventions we made at schools, each with amazing results:
https://youtu.be/5JVrFeosiNI (4:51)
https://youtu.be/K9KhjVLKRDo (3:07)
We point to overseas studies with over a million students that show what happens if you reduce food additives fed to children. We instance the massive UK Southampton study that concluded:
“normal, healthy children” can be affected, not just in those with learning or behaviour problems."
“children’s ability to benefit from schooling” can be reduced by additives.
And reference the five-year trial at Appleton High School for troubled teenagers where “negative behaviors such as vandalism, drug and weapons violations, dropout and expulsion rates, and suicide attempts are (now) virtually non-existent."
The appropriate educational and public health response would be to reduce
the use of food additives that contribute to behavioural and physical disorders!
See our full submission (with references above) - you are welcome to make your own submission by 31 March 2023 here.
A marvellous story
We have to share with you this marvellous letter that came on the first day of 2023:
G'day,
I found your capsaicin trial on the Food Intolerance Network. Sorry but I have not followed the schedule outlined in the trial.
I'm writing to tell you that your discovery has changed my life.
I've had this problem my whole life but the symptoms got worse as I got older. They were so bad I couldn't follow the RPAH guidelines. Potato, leek, pears, etc. would trigger my symptoms at the smallest amounts e.g. I could only tolerate 20g of potato.
The symptoms I experienced, mental and physical, were severe. They've left me unable to work for the past 9 years and caused the loss of many relationships. It left me unable to live.
I found your trial around a month ago and started the next day.
I don't have the words to describe the difference it's made on my mental state. I want to say it's given me clarity but that really undersells it. My whole perception of the world has changed and I can feel consistent happiness for the first time in my life. Ever.
I have energy. I have strength. I have coordination.
I can now eat salicylates in whatever amounts I want with no repercussions.
I've been able to start working again too.
I can't thank you enough for what you've given me. Fingers crossed it keeps working.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you – Paul (30 yo Australian)
See full blog with link to factsheet that triggered this remarkable journey.
Hidden bread preservative causes a “very, very unpleasant detour”
Lorna recently contacted me in desperation. Her courage award story [1647] demonstrates:
• our food regulators are failing to protect us
• food manufacturers can now deceive consumers by hiding nasty additives while claiming “free from artificial preservatives”
• propionate preservatives can ruin lives – and are now hidden in staple foods
• no wonder bad behaviour, mental health problems like anxiety and health issues like insomnia and racing heart are increasing, and doctors don’t know why.
“Surely our story can convince anyone with health issues to take a good look at their diet….Thank you again Sue and keep up your amazing work” – Lorna
See the full COURAGE AWARD story [1647] and hidden additives blog with more info and links to science
Doctors and food intolerance
Doctors are generally reluctant to acknowledge side-effects of drugs (1), and even more unlikely to understand the side-effects of food (2,3).
This is largely because they are not trained in nutrition (4) or food intolerance and so do not ‘believe’ that foods can provide side-effects (3) that are as powerful as those from medical drugs.
With increasing studies world-wide showing that ultra-processed foods are bad for our health (5), experts say that doctors need more training in nutrition (6). And to be able to recognise food intolerance (2,3).
See some positive ideas to manage the discussion, with references and many reader reports in the full blog -
Beware: paracetamol during pregnancy
Paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen, common brand names Panadol, Tylenol) is one of the most commonly used drugs during pregnancy world-wide.
- recent studies have found a link between prenatal paracetamol use and developmental problems including ADHD and ASD in children
- government regulatory agencies still say that this drug is safe during pregnancy
- a consensus statement (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8580820/) supported by 91 scientists, clinicians and public health professionals globally recommend that pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy to:
- avoid paracetamol unless its use is medically indicated
- consult with a physician or pharmacist … before using on a long-term basis
- minimize exposure by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time
Read full blog with scientific references
Retrain your brain and reclaim your health workshop
Jenny Trezise is a qualified dietitian who has lived and breathed food and chemical intolerances personally and professionally for over 15 years. You may know her as the owner of the specialty online store Hopper HQ. A few years ago, she was so frustrated with her quality of life and in spending much of her spare time and money on finding potential solutions for her ailments, that she decided that there must be a better way to live life. She refused to accept that she would live with chronic fatigue, food and chemical sensitivities and a host of other conditions for the rest of her life. Fortunately, this determination led Jenny to discover the potential for brain retraining using neuroplasticity techniques, and she knew enough science to believe that it could work. Incredibly she found she had tremendous success in just a few months. So profound was the life change that she now has done training in magnetic mind techniques and is dedicated to teaching others how to achieve the health and wellness that she now has.
Jenny is hosting an online workshop for failsafe members to be held on Wednesday, March 1 at 8pm. Cost $20 pp. In this session she will teach you:
- How and why it is possible to retrain your brain and body for more health and wellness.
- The core system and mindset required to permanently ease your pain and suffering and to live a fulfilling and wholesome life.
AND
- You'll experience one of the powerful neuroplasticity techniques she uses in the coaching program to keep people moving towards their goals. This process will take you through the core system step by step and demonstrate how they can be integrated into your own life, so you too can rewire your brain for more health and vitality.
To book click here. Or if you would like more information about Jenny’s work, visit www.aurielminds.com.au or here to book a call with Jenny
You can always find more recipe ideas at https://www.fedup.com.au/recipes or Failsafe Cookbook
Every failsafer should get the regular newsletter from The Failsafe Table - it is fantastic Next issue due out 3 March 2023, but check out the mouth-watering #72 - Thanks Rona at Domestic Diva Unleashed!
You can find more great recipes at Domestic Diva Unleashed, Cooking for Oscar, Failsafe Foodie, Real Meals and Failsafe Decorated Cakes.
There's a recipe index of ANY Failsafe recipes on ANY blog. So far there are more than 1,000 recipes with great photos and ideas all categorised to make it easy to search http://pinterest.com/failsafetable/
Failsafe Thermomix group with recipes and a place to ask questions etc https://www.facebook.com/groups/139914166142279/
I bought a Thermomix a couple of months ago, and absolutely love it. These machines are totally awesome, so pure and clean, and I truly believe that if we’d had a Thermomix years ago when our son was at his worst, it would have saved us a lot of heartache, as well as time and money - Susan.
And the very useful weekly meal plan website https://mealsplans.wordpress.com/
You can scroll through the full text of all stories: for every story we report, there are probably another 10 that cover similar issues. And these are just the ones we get to hear about. Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Success story collections: organised by symptom or by additive keywords are proving the most popular downloads from the website. They'll be added to as time permits.
People tell us that stories are so useful and positive!
[1654] One-liners (February 2023)
Thank you Sue for a great website and a very well-thumbed and highlighted book ... life-savers in disguise! They've been so useful, and have helped me find safe foods to eat - Mary
I would like to let you know that you're doing a great job! - Cassie
I’m trying to buy a book bundle to give to a friend - this has changed our family's life so much, everyone’s asking us about it - Sarah
[1653] "change in their behaviour, health and learning on the protocol was miraculous" (February 2023)
I am a Mum of 2 adult males, who both had severe behavioural issues as children. I was very fortunate to find out about Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit’s elimination protocol before my sons entered kinder and school. I attended a work seminar where RPAH spoke about their protocol. I will be forever grateful for that day. I worked in health and was not aware of these nasty additives, that I was inadvertently giving my children each day as part of a ‘healthy diet’. The change in their behaviour, health and learning on the protocol was miraculous. Straying from the protocol when eating out or when they were given additive laden foods from other children at school, resulted in a complete Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde scenario. We were simply not able to manage their behaviour unless we made their meals at home without these nasty additives. It makes me very upset to think of all the children who are being fed copious quantities of these additives in their average Australian diet, their parents unaware of the effect on them. I also get very upset that these additives are not researched for their long term and cumulative effects on health, behaviour and learning.
I worked in primary schools for several years, assessing prep students and speaking to parents about their concerns. Behavioural problems were one of the most common concerns mentioned.
My sons are now in their 20’s. One has worked his way up to a senior management position after completing an apprenticeship and the other is completing a Bachelor Degree at University. I really wonder where my sons would be, had I not attended that seminar about the harmful additives in our everyday food. My oldest son’s behaviour was so severe we feared for his future and even joked he would end up in juvenile detention.
The RPAH research has not only benefited my sons. My health and mental health are negatively affected by many artificial additives - Jay
[1652] Salicylates: “Life soon improved for everyone” (January 2023)
My daughter is now 23 years old and no longer has effects due to food intolerances. From a very early age in fact I believe from birth she showed signs of food intolerances. (Of course this is what I know now).
Monique cried a lot as a baby and suffered with severe asthma from just a few months old. I sought doctor's advice - there was not much support with the excessive crying but she was prescribed medication to treat the asthma. The medication did relieve the breathing but it hyped her up and caused agitation. I did not know what to do, she was having trouble breathing and I needed to help her. At about the age of two I took her to a different doctor for what reason I can't remember but she was really sick and he even considered that she may have Cystic Fibrosis due to the severity of the condition.
I breastfed and I now believe due to her food intolerances that breastfeeding may not have been the best option for her. Our diet often consisted of tomato based pasta dishes, and also fruit and vegetables that I now know have a high salicylate content, which of course would have filtered to the baby.
As the years passed we were dealing with behaviours of agitation and frustration. The outbursts and nature of the behaviours was much like the description on a child with some of the conditions that have been given a name these days. (eg. A-D-D and A-D-H-D). I never at any time considered that she suffered from these conditions and as a mother I always felt compassion and concern, and desperate to find out what was causing this behaviour and severe agitation in this beautiful little girl. The agitation and anger often started with her rubbing her nose and just a shift in mood which I learnt to recognise. If I caught it early enough I found sometimes milo drink would neutralise the effect so that I could reason with her and help. However many times she was anxious and agitated before I realised what was happening and then she would refuse the milo.
I knew she did not want to be like this. On the rare occasions that I would address the problem with a doctor in many ways I was relieved that a diagnosis was not offered because I did not want her on medications that are usually prescribed for the aforementioned conditions. Nor did I believe that medication was the answer.
After years of patience and understanding, dealing with the situation, I also saw the development of some social difficulties, things like feeling targeted and being extremely sensitive. When she was 10 years of age I decided I needed to address this once again.
Here is what turned out to be the answer:
I had made a doctor’s appointment to have one last go at getting to the bottom of this. I once again hoped the doctor did not suggest medication because even though I wanted help I really did not feel comfortable going down this road.
I was finishing my preparation to leave for the appointment and on the radio I heard Sue Dengate talking about food intolerance. Sue mentioned SALICYLATES, immediately I found a pen and wrote it down in the best spelling I could create.
The doctor still really did not have much to offer. So I asked him "have you ever heard of salicylates?" He said he had, so I further asked he had any lists of the foods that contain salicylates which fortunately he did and gave it to me.
Reading about salicylates and learning where they are helped me to eliminate the foods from her diet and this was the answer. Life soon improved for everyone especially Monique, including no more asthma. This is my story and I wish to express my gratitude and thanks to Sue for her wonderful work – Annie (from 2011)
[1651] "I don't have the words to describe the difference it's made on my mental state" (January 2023)
(See lead article above)
[1650] Elimination diet: "the simplification is a silver lining!" (November 2022)
We have experienced a fabulous side effect of the elimination diet (doing as a family, the children do not know we are doing it).
Our sauces / oils drawer now only contains 1 item now, which I've realised having so many was overwhelming for beginners.
Now that there are reduced options visible, our 9 year olds have become very interested in cooking and experimenting on their own.
Having 1 oil available is so much simpler than the multitude we usually have. Choosing from salt, garlic and chives as seasoning is enabling creativity, testing and confidence with flavours.
I love this unexpected surprise 
- Betty
[1649] 160b: Annatto causes “terrible migraines” (November 2022)
I am a 53 year old woman. After completing the elimination diet I have learnt I react to the "natural" colouring 160b.
Within 24 hours I suffer from terrible migraines with noise and light sensitivity, nausea and high level head pain. These migraines last 72 hours. I am bed bound and incapacitated - Sarah
See 53 pages of reactions to this "natural" additive
[1648] 202: Sorbates cause “nasal congestion and irritation!” (November 2022)
A common commercial hummus. Didn’t eat it for months, then re-introduced it. Nasal congestion and irritation! Finally pinpointed the culprit. Preservative 202. Great website and thanks for sharing all the info. Really helpful - Kristy
(See similar story about potassium sorbate preservative in hummus [1466])
[1647] Hidden bread preservative “took us on a very, very unpleasant detour” (September 2022) COURAGE AWARD
I want to thank you, once again, for giving us life changing support. We are truly grateful for the time and effort you put into helping persons like ourselves who are desperate for answers, to find positive, life-changing solutions!
I just had to share with you what has happened since our last email. And just in case you want to publish it, I will start from our earlier experiences with you.
Back in the mid-90s we had 2 severely intolerant children. They lived on potatoes, chicken, lamb, carrots and rice.
Their reactions were vast... severe stomach cramps, vomiting, ear infections, sleeplessness, eczema, hyperactivity, anger, anxiety, diarrhea, constipation, snoring and noisy breathing. And lots of crying.
One day our GP phoned me. He'd seen a book called Fed Up by Sue Dengate and thought it would be helpful with our children's intolerances. If only every GP prescribed this book! It became our lifesaver, our go-to.
On the diet, they were calm, happy, restful, healthy children. People would ask us, don't your children ever fight? Not on the diet. Ever.
Our next 2 children had similar food intolerances. Over time they have all become more tolerant to different foods. But we have remained very particular about avoiding certain poisonous additives eg 160b and the 280 preservatives which without fail cause issues. Even for the adults in the family.
Fast forward 25 years ... with hardly a visit to the Doctor for any of us and now a grown family, regular visits to the Fedup website to keep up to date with changes in food laws and also to check the failsafe additives list!
But very slowly, very subtly, things started to change. So subtly that I never connected the changes with food.
Our happy teenagers became sullen, grumpy, argumentative and restless. We all suffered skin break outs. Anxiety levels were high. I felt like I had the acne of a teenager, the nighttime worries of a 3 year old plus anxiety. From sleeping solidly all night, I started hearing every change in the weather, and woke with every vehicle and every animal noise outside. And then had difficulty going back to sleep. It's just part of getting older I told myself.
My husband developed severe insomnia (literally wide awake all night long, night after night, and often even sleeping tablets had no effect), along with a racing heart. Part of old age we thought. And the doctor agreed... racing heart - you'll just have to learn to live with it.
After months and months of accepting this "new normal" but questioning it all in the back of my mind, and often wondering, what am I doing wrong with our diet? I would look at my kids that had been so happy and think, what are you eating that's making you like this? Finally in desperation I once again contacted Sue Dengate.
She very quickly picked up that we had coeliacs in the family and this was her reply:
"There is now a "Clean Label" movement by the food industry to remove additive numbers (such as 282) and chemical sounding names (such as preservative calcium propionate) and replace them with innocent sounding names (such as cultured dextrose, see https://www.fedup.com.au/news/blog/caution-cultured-dextrose). This has happened in gluten free bread quite recently and quickly, so I wonder if your husband is currently eating the bread preservative without realising it? In my experience the bread preservative can be the very worst of additives, eaten regularly every day and often causing major changes"
Thank you Sue from the bottom of our hearts. That was exactly it. I was not up to date with this clean label movement and in all of my label checking we had been deceived. All our lives we had avoided 282 like the plague... until they gave it an innocent name. Which took us on a very, very unpleasant detour.
Maybe it happened so we can share our completely unintentional preservative journey and save others from the nasty effects of propionates.
It's been a long, difficult journey back to the road we originally were on. Many months of consuming cultured dextrose left damage that has been hard to undo.
The kids recovered fairly quickly, but my husband ended up doing the complete elimination diet and probably confirmed another of Sue's questions...
"Given that your children were "intolerant to almost everything", they probably inherited that from someone - possibly your husband. So I'm wondering whether he would feel better on the full elimination diet."
On the full elimination diet, he has come off all his sleeping tablets, and no longer has any heart issues. His skin has also cleared up. This was a massive breakthrough! He absolutely hated having sleeping tablets. Between those and insomnia and a racing heart, his quality of life was very poor compared to our pre-preservative life when he was fit and healthy and had no sleeping issues.
We believe that the months of consuming cultured dextrose daily, caused the major changes to his health and worsened his food sensitivities to the point that he became intolerant to almost everything!
Surely our story can convince anyone with health issues to take a good look at their diet. After our many years of food experiences we all firmly believe that most health issues can be resolved simply by diet!
Thank you again Sue and keep up your amazing work – Lorna
Don’t forget, you can search for stories/symptoms or scroll through all current stories
Q: Is there an antidote for salicylates?
A: Bicarb soda can be used as a temporary antidote for too many salicylates
For food intolerance reactions and withdrawal symptoms you can use Eno Regular Antacid powder according to packet directions or 1 tsp of soda bicarb in a glass of water (half or less for children over 5). People usually feel better within a few minutes and the effects last about an hour.
- DO NOT OVERUSE BICARB - as well as hastening the excretion of food chemicals such as salicylates, these home remedies also hasten the excretion of essential nutrients (1)
- IT CAN CAUSE POISONING IN EXCESS (2)
- USA manufacturer’s instructions advise against administering the product to children under age 5 years, because of reported seizure and respiratory depression in children (2)
- Once a day is enough
Q: How can I find out what is in a medicine or supplement besides what is on the label?
A: Due to recent pathetic changes in the labelling requirements, only the active ingredient and preservatives need to be listed on the packet, not other compounds. You can look online. Searching in Australia at Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)? – this is the best site https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/artg - and if you can’t find what you want, email them
You can also see the medications recommended by RPAH on their website in February 2021 https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/pdf/Medications.pdf
Q: Can I still get to view that Autism Summit presentation from Sue Dengate please?
A: Yes, now at https://www.fedup.com.au/information/support/autism-summit-resources
Frequently Asked Questions are the result of a lot of work by many people. Over 322,000 people have viewed them!
You can search all or scroll through them all classified as follows:
- Additive questions
- Diet questions
- Food and product questions
- Graphic answers for the 9 most common questions
- Medications and supplement questions
- Perfume and chemical sensitivity questions
- Personal care and household cleaning questions
- Support questions
- Symptom questions
Here are graphics for the 9 most common questions
Rosemary (high in salicylates) coming soon to a food near you
Rosemary extract (E392) has been permitted as a food additive (antioxidant) in a range of foods, which has adversely affected food choices of food intolerant people. Our food regulator FSANZ has now accepted Application A1254 to extend the permitted use of rosemary extract to many more foods! Comments will be open at some stage in 2023. This product is high-very high in salicylates NOT FAILSAFE so look out for it in the following:
- Edible oils
- Margarine and similar products
- Fruit and vegetable spreads including jams, chutneys and related products
- Icings and frostings
- Processed cereal and meal products
- Flour products (including noodles and pasta)
- Biscuits, cakes and pastries
- Processed meat, poultry and game products
- Dried meat
- Sausage and sausage meat
- Salts and condiments
- Food other than beverages (!)
- Sauces and toppings (including mayonnaises and salad dressings)
- Starch based snacks (from root and tuber vegetables, legumes and pulses)
Cabbages for osteoarthritis?
- osteoarthritis is most common form of arthritis
- freshly washed cabbage leaves have traditionally been regarded as “the poor man’s poultice” used to reduce painful swelling
- eating the cabbages may also help
Find out why with scientific references in the blog
Diet central to Hippocratic oath
The Hippocratic Oath is perhaps the most widely known of Greek medical texts. It requires a new physician to swear upon a number of healing gods that he will uphold a number of professional ethical standards. Central is this:
“I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgement, and I will do no harm or injustice to them.”
Now we could really use some of that dietary knowledge and commitment in the medical industry. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) looks at nitrosamines
Nitrosamines are chemical compounds that can form in foods such as cured meats, processed fish and alcohol as a result of food preparation and processing. EFSA gave a draft opinion in October 2022 on public health risks arising from nitrosamines in food, and found that dietary exposure to nitrosamines is likely above the level that could present a health concern. No action in Australia and New Zealand since 2011 of course.
Another reason to avoid those often-hidden additives that boost nitrosamines https://www.fedup.com.au/news/blog/nitrates-not-on-the-label-in-australia-and-nz-another-hidden-additive
New European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) structure takes effect
The EU have restructured their food regulator Management Board to include not only member states but representatives of civil society and food chain interests. The previous structure had 14 members with food chain expertise, no government, organisation or sector representatives, and not even the European Commission. Now if only we could get genuine consumer representation on our Australia/NZ food regulator FSANZ then we might get useful change, but multiple expensive reviews have yet to have any effect.
Sue Dengate's famous presentation “Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour” view for free (1hr 12mins).
Irene says “ladies show your men the video as they will rarely read the book. Watching an hour of a DVD is more comprehensible to the male brain. That is how I got my husband to finally understand our son’s behaviour and to support what I am doing with him. He now has the book in his van and every spare moment he has, he reads it" - from story [717]
Subtitled version in 6 languages (English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish) can also be viewed for free. (The Bonus material (interviews with parents) can only be seen in purchased version)
Red food colour alters digestive tract lining
Parents have long been concerned about behavioural effects of artificial colours. But a recent study extends damage to the gut barrier lining.
Researchers found that colour 129 (Allura red AC, red #40, CI 16035) disrupts gut barrier function and experimental animals develop inflammation in the digestive tract. Exposure to this dye early in life can lead to colitis and to symptoms similar to Crohn’s disease. According to this research, the dye increases the secretion of serotonin in the gut and disrupts the balance of microbes living there.
REF: Chronic exposure to synthetic food colorant Allura Red AC promotes susceptibility to experimental colitis via intestinal serotonin in mice https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35309-y
And red dyes can even be in toothpaste – see [1293] KB's story: severe chronic Insomnia caused by red gel toothpaste.
Blue food colouring now linked to ADHD
While the massive Southhampton study found that a range of artificial colourings (E102, E110, E122, E124), and benzoate preservative (E211) caused significant behavioural effects detectable by parents, they inexplicably missed testing blue colourings 132 (indigotine, indigo carmine, blue #2, CI 73015) and 133 (brilliant Blue FCF, blue #1, CI 42090).
USA researchers have recently reviewed the blue gap and said that dietary intervention, particularly the elimination of AFCs (artificial food colours), should be considered for children with ADHD and that many children, not just those diagnosed with ADHD, may benefit from such a dietary change. A similar 2022 study found that 52% of 27 clinical trials found an association between intake of artificial food colouring and behavioural responses such as hyperactivity and inattention that were statistically significant.
REFS: A Review of the Association of Blue Food Coloring With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9573786/
Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9052604/
Southampton study: Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17825405/
https://www.fedup.com.au/news/blog/food-colours-shame-on-you-fsanz
No free lunch with ‘sugar-free’ sweeteners
Industry has long claimed that sweeteners are metabolically inert. But increasing evidence contradicts this, pointing to increased diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, raised blood sugar, effects on the microbiome and increased risk of heart disease.
Israeli researchers recently found that aspartame and stevia had no significant effect on blood sugar but that sucralose and saccharin raised blood sugar in all participants who consumed them. All four sweeteners tested were found to alter the human microbiome.
French researchers had earlier found that artificial sweeteners may be linked with a 9% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an 18% higher risk of cerebrovascular disease. They concluded that sweeteners “should not be considered a healthy and safe alternative to sugar”.
REF: Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35987213/
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/08/artificial-sweeteners-price-of-sugar-free-are-they-as-harmless-as-we-thought
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/07/artificial-sweeteners-linked-to-increased-risk-of-heart-disease-study-finds
https://www.fedup.com.au/news/blog/artificial-sweeteners-can-cause-diabetes-and-obesity-wait-i-thought-they-were-supposed-to-prevent
Gout Attacks Increase the Risk for Heart Attacks and Strokes
A flare of gout seems to increase the risk for cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes according to recent UK research. While they mentioned diet, along with medications, there was no mention of newly approved flavour enhancers which were meant to carry a warning for gout sufferers. In our experience, gout sufferers - and their doctors - have no idea these additives (627, 631, 635) can be a problem, yet they are now common throughout our food supply.
REFS: Association Between Gout Flare and Subsequent Cardiovascular Events Among Patients With Gout https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35916846/
https://www.fedup.com.au/news/blog/gout-shame-on-you-fsanz
https://www.fedup.com.au/factsheets/symptom-factsheets/gout-and-diet
Can supplements or diet reduce symptoms of arthritis?
A recent large review found that there is moderate evidence for a small benefit for certain dietary components but that “high-level evidence of clinically meaningful effects” from individual dietary exposures is missing.
From the viewpoint of food intolerance, the studies reviewed were largely focused on specific dietary components (vitamin D, chondroitin, glucosamine, omega-3) because that is where funding is available. The literature lacks a useful understanding of broader nutrition which may cause arthritis. Fasting has been found to be an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis but most patients relapse on the reintroduction of food. This would appear to confirm the food connection in some cases. For an updated review of the literature from a food intolerance perspective, see the factsheet on arthritis, joint pain and diet.
REFS: https://theconversation.com/can-supplements-or-diet-reduce-symptoms-of-arthritis-heres-what-the-evidence-says-184151
Effects of diet on the outcomes of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs): systematic review and meta-analyses informing the 2021 EULAR recommendations for lifestyle improvements in people with RMDs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35654458/
The complete list of food additives, with those to avoid highlighted, has just been updated to the latest information.
AVOID those fluoro-yellow potato chips: thanks to Sara who followed up about fried potato chips badly affecting her family. Due to the potato shortage in Australia chips are being imported and may contain tartrazine 102 yellow coat-tar dye! Main supplier seems to be Harvest Choice Potatoes: Beef Tallow and/or Vegetable Oil, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (450), Colour (102) https://www.lambweston.com.au/en-au/au-products/1002.html DON'T FORGET that nearly all catering oils contain BHA 320 and/or BHT 321 that also need to be avoided.
The “Personal, medications and supplements” page has been changed. Both Clinique and Inika have been removed as suitable cosmetic brands, as they contain salicylates, sorbates and preservatives. Inika's loose mineral powder is OK, as are others like Adore Beauty and Youngblood. Flower Beauty by Drew Barrymore (exclusive to Chemist Warehouse in Australia), looks like the majority of its products are failsafe, and might be a better suggestion - thanks Caroline.
Food Intolerance Resources from RPAH at https://www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/resources/foodintol/resources.html
The following resources have been made available on the condition that they are for personal use only and may not be distributed:
- Elimination Diet shopping guide
- NSW & ACT butchers
- Toiletries & Personal care products
- Medications
- Nutritional Supplements
NOTE the failsafe shopping lists on www.fedup.com.au is being regularly updated to reflect changes. If using the shopping lists, check for a current date at the bottom of the list.
The failsafe sausages list has been updated again. Please email directly with changes, preferably in the format in the list,
The completely revised and updated Friendly Food from RPAH is now available at $38.00 including post and GST from the Food Intolerance Network store
SPECIAL OFFER because it costs no more to post these:
- Friendly Food (at cost) $38.00 incl postage & GST
- add Fed Up for only $18.00 (32% discount)
- add Failsafe Cookbook for only $27.00 (22% discount)
- add Fed Up and Failsafe Cookbook for only $45.00 (25% discount)
- add DVD Fed Up with Children's Behaviour for only $14.00 (45% discount)
- add 'The Set' (Fed Up, Failsafe Cookbook & DVD) for only $60.00 (25% discount)
If you want some inspiration, try the COURAGE AWARD story collection - 40 pages of brilliance!
Most recent FIVE story collections: 160b annatto, 282 propionates, epilepsy , doctors and food intolerance and autism – if anyone wants to help update a story collection (all you need is time and some word processing skills) please email
Factsheets provide science-based access to information on added and natural chemicals, on symptoms and support. See full list of over 100 factsheets and remember that you can use the search function to search all factsheets (Information>Factsheets>Search all factsheets)
Don't forget that there is great collection of short videos to help answer your questions and understand food intolerance.
Thanks for your continuing support of each other!
**WARNING** www.food-intolerance-network.com is a spam website funded by the shadowy “Society for Public Health” about which no information is available. We think it is a food industry spam site and complaints about stealing our name have been unanswered. Use www.realfoodintolerancenetwork.com to find us directly.
A video-graphic introduction to food intolerance from one of our Network members (2 mins): Food intolerances, what are they? Thanks to Steph Aromataris www.stepharomataris.com
Diet not working as well as you'd hoped? One tiny mistake can make a huge difference. For fine-tuning, see the Checklist of common mistakes. Readers tell us this list is very useful. You can also ask for our Salicylate, Amine and Glutamate mistakes sheets
Online support: Sue Dengate facebook group (over 19,800 members, open forum meaning the public can see your posts).
Closed failsafe group https://www.facebook.com/groups/352777968116759/ with over 5,400 members (the public cannot see your posts)
USA facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/284241571702972/ Note that this group has changed its name to Failsafe USA Products.
NZ facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1011400158967643/ (membership preference given to those living in New Zealand)
UK facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/380347182034474/ again accessible
tweet as @failsafers (note the plural). See all tweets https://twitter.com/failsafers
The Food Intolerance Network website has had over 13 million visits
Dietitians: Remember that we always recommend that people use one of our supportive and experienced dietitians for best results. Do it once and do it properly and then you will know which food intolerances you have and how to manage them. There is now a list of dietitians able to consult in languages other than English, and overseas.
For failsafe-friendly dietitians, see the regularly updated http://fedup.com.au/information/support/dietitians There is no longer any need to email
Many dietitians are now online and the cost (typically $80 per half hour) can be rebated from most health funds. Ask them when making contact. As one dietitian said,”I use Coviu which is a video conferencing service developed by the CSIRO for Australian allied health workers. It is encrypted end to end so it has a very high privacy. I can show education videos, share documents, patients can fill out forms for me and I can see them in real time so it is going really well”. See also a list of dietitians able to consult in languages other than English, and overseas.
DVD "Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour” has subtitles in six languages. (In PAL format only, not available with subtitles in NTSC format. But NTSC format DVDs are at a reduced price of only $14.50 including postage through the shop on www.fedup.com.au). As a reward for reading this newsletter so thoroughly, the first person to email
Brochures: are available in many languages in a printer-friendly format (thanks to Failsafe members for translating!). Email
Newsletters: All Failsafe Newsletters can be searched and printed. There is a wealth of research, issue discussion, recipes, personal reports and recipes now available in one place. But some of the links are out of date and you must always check current products rather than relying on historical information.
Success story collections: These are the most popular downloads from the website, organised by symptom and by additive. The latest collection is on violence and aggression (54 pages) and on doctors and food intolerance (7 pages
The Food Intolerance Network strongly supports the peer-reviewed publication of evidence regarding the effects of salicylates on health, behaviour and learning and acknowledges that more research needs to be published, particularly using dietary salicylates. However the very foundation of science is observation and these observations over many years show an astonishing and convincing range of real symptoms. We hope that they may assist in stimulating further research publication.
Reintroduction guidelines: for people who are extra sensitive, the new RPAH reintroduction guidelines recommend much smaller servings of salicylate and amine containing foods than previously, see reader comment below. Available on request from
Thank you so much for the new RPAH reintroduction recommendations. I now understand why when I tried to ascertain my tolerance levels and did as my dietician recommended (try 1/2 a cup of salicylates) that my symptoms returned very quickly. ½ a cup is 100 times ¼ of a teaspoon, and given my scent problems I’m probably highly sensitive. Now I can try again. - failsafer, NZ
Privacy statement about emails and reports: Your email addresses and stories are never shared with anyone without your express permission. Names in stories are often changed to better protect the privacy of those providing them but the original emails are held in a secure location to provide evidence that these are real reports and that express permission to share them has been granted.
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Sue Dengate’s books and DVD, failsafe magnifying card sulphite test strips and ionizing air purifiers are available through the shop on www.fedup.com.au
Special offer for USA and Canada: Fed Up With Children' Behaviour (NTSC format) - DVD at $US14.50 - go to http://www.bookch.com and search for "Sue Dengate"
Fed Up and the Failsafe Cookbook are now available as an ebook: www.amazon.com for Kindle, www.dymocks.com.au in ePub version suitable for Tablet PCs, PCs, Macs, Laptops, www.ebooks.com in ePub for digital and iPhone/iPad.
Sue Dengate’s Fed Up with Food Intolerance - a personal story (Australia USA and many other countries)
- NOW AVAILABLE AS A PRINTED BOOK $A14.85 incl GST in Australia, different prices in other countries - lend it to your friends! (ISBN: 979-8845846761 ASIN: B0B92L1L1L)
- STILL AVAILABLE in ebook only $A4.56 (ISBN: 978-0992320706 ASIN: B00I8D5DNU)
"Of all your books, your book Fed Up with Food Intolerance is my favourite I just couldn’t put it down" - from Fed Up Roadshow 2015
Look inside
This is the story that helped thousands of parents and adults understand this baffling disorder.
Buy direct at https://store16061019.ecwid.com/
Download a sample for Kindle (.mobi) or for other ereaders (.epub).
Also available through Amazon for Kindle
Disclaimer: the information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for possible underlying illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. Information is drawn from the scientific literature, web research, group members and personal enquiry; while all care is taken, information is not warranted as accurate and the Food Intolerance Network and Sue Dengate cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions.
© Sue Dengate 2023 (text) PO Box 718 WOOLGOOLGA NSW 2456, Australia but material can be reproduced with acknowledgement. Thanks to the many members who have written, phoned and contributed to this newsletter and particularly to Rona, Teresa and Tracy for their help with recipes, facebook and story collections. Further reading and viewing: Fed Up and The Failsafe Cookbook by Sue Dengate (Random House Australia), Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour (DVD) by Sue Dengate