Beware The Long, Bold Word In Capitals: PHENYLALANINE

We have been label reading for a while now. Mostly, we are checking labels for limited sugar, salt and fats. My daughter has been having an allergic reaction for a few weeks which has included a rash all over her face, dizziness, headaches, and feeling anxious. So we have gone back to the label reading, this time looking at the ingredients in the products she eats.

After quite a lengthy elimination process, some research and weeks of comforting the girl and administering anti-histamines and anti-itch cream I have solved the mystery.

Ironically, in an effort to limit sugar in the kids diets, we occasionally bought some Diet Lemonade as a treat. Unbeknownst to us, the artificial sweeteners are just as toxic as sugar, and in many cases highly allergenic, causing severe ongoing problems if ignored.

This artificial sweetener, in this case, is Aspartame and is also know as 951. It contains PHENYLALANINE, which often appears on the product label in big, bold, capitals.

Up to now, I have never noticed it on a label.... maybe it should be printed in red?? In fact, when I went to this site to research the different additives, 951 also known as Aspartame, IS in red!

PHENYLALANINE is an amino-acid and appears as one of the building blocks of protein foods like fish, meat, cheese, eggs and milk, but when it is added to other foods the body can become overloaded, and this brings on the reaction.

Ski Soleil Yoghurt

Once I started looking, I found it in too many of our foods. Firstly, was the diet Lemonade, and any other diet drinks, then we found the Sugarfree Chewing Gum, my instant hot chocolate, cereals, sauces, potato chips ..... no wonder she was getting such a build up in her system.

I apoligise for the quality of the photos, but  I wanted to show the products and where the ingredients were listed. The Ski Soleil Yoghurt lists 951 as one of the added sweeteners, while Pepsi Max displays "CONTAINS PHENYLALINE" in bold, enlarged print, as does the Jarrah Choc o'lait.

Pepsi Max 

Jarrah Choc o'lait

Now, that we have eliminated these products from her diet, the rash is receding, and Miss 9 is feeling better.

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