Louise Garcia / Photo credit: CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP
According to the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), the additive E551, present in thousands of references (2,600), promotes gluten intolerance. It is present, for example, in instant soups, baby cereal preparations or even powdered foods such as cocoa.
It became a habit. More and more consumers are monitoring the ingredients on the back of ready meal boxes to sniff out additives often accused of being carcinogenic. And the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) warns of a new product, E551. It is present in thousands of references (2,600) and is believed to promote gluten intolerance.
Block the establishment of tolerance
It is present, for example, in instant soups, baby cereal preparations or even powdered foods such as cocoa. This additive, E551, helps prevent the formation of lumps and, sometimes, does not even appear on the list of ingredients displayed on the product. However, its effects can be dangerous for our health. “Silicon dioxide 551 will be in direct interaction with the immune cells of our intestine. And this silica dioxide has the particularity of interacting with this immune cell, of blocking the establishment of tolerance to our food. inflammation follows and it is an area of susceptibility to many pathologies”, explains Eric Houdeau, researcher in food toxicology at INRAE.
In mice, within three months of exposure, gluten intolerance appeared. Studies continue in humans and, in any case, researchers invite health authorities to look into this additive and its potential dangers for health.