Social networks have proven to be a very interesting channel for scientific dissemination, but in them it is also common to come across countless hoaxes. An example is the video posted by the TikTok profile @comidabasura, where it is stated that canned chickpeas “are highly toxic.” To reach this conclusion, the author of the clip lists the dangers of the additives that this preserve contains: E-223 and E-385.
“E-223 or sodium disulfite is a synthetic preservative that is used to prevent enzymes, bacteria and prevent discoloration of food. In low doses it causes irritation in the digestive tract and makes vitamin D inactive. In the long term, its intake could cause avitaminosis,” says the user. However, the food technologist and director of the SAIA food safety consultancy, Lluís Riera, denies this information and calls for calm. “Additives that have the letter E are authorized by the EU, which carries out prior studies before allowing them to be used in the food industry.”
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), an agency dependent on the EU, is responsible for carrying out safety evaluations of additives for food use. That includes reviewing all relevant scientific data available, such as information on chemical and biological properties, potential toxicity, and estimates of human dietary exposure. “This body is also responsible for setting an Acceptable Daily Intake, that is, an estimate of the amount of the substance that can be consumed without any risk,” says Riera. “They do it taking into account the total diet and with a safety margin.”
For these additives to pose a health hazard, they would have to be consumed in large quantities. “With the proportions in which they are allowed to be added to food, they are not a threat. If any manufacturer went too far, thanks to the exhaustive controls that exist, the product would be removed from marketing channels immediately.”
Sulfites such as E-223 are essential for extending the useful life of many products, the food technologist continues to explain, because they prevent the proliferation of bacteria. “If they were not used, many of the products we consume most would rot, there would be no food for everyone and food waste would skyrocket.” These substances are found in basic foods such as preserves and minced meat, which if they were not incorporated among their ingredients would expire in a day. The fear of sulfites comes partly from the fact that they are components derived from sulfur, but there is nothing to fear, because they are also found naturally in other foods and in our body.
The other additive that the @comidabasura account criticizes is E-385 or Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetate. It says about it that in low doses it inhibits the absorption of minerals and iron, and that if taken in large quantities it causes vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, clotting problems and blood loss in the urine. In addition, he adds that it is not recommended for children and pregnant women. “It is not dangerous either. I repeat: the Acceptable Daily Intake is set only after having carried out numerous studies of the substance in question. And that amount is above all adapted to the most vulnerable population groups,” insists Riera.
To understand it, the expert gives an exaggerated example. “Eating a whole packet of salt is also dangerous, but no one questions its safety, because it’s the same with this.” And he ends with a criticism of this type of hoaxes. “These messages make the population afraid, they give a wrong view of what the food industry is. We have to think that we all eat a minimum of three times a day and, in general, that does not cause us health problems. We are in a developed country that ensures food security”.
As for whether dehydrated chickpeas or those sold canned are healthier, nutritionists insist that both options can be healthy and that the important thing is that the legume is present in the diet. The AESAN recommends consuming them at least four times a week, because they are a very healthy and complete source of protein.
