Autism caused by snacks?<\/p>\n
Referring to Hiang Marahimin's letter in The Jakarta Post of
\nJan. 21, I would appreciate her expert opinion on the causes of
\nautism and whether there is any scientific proof that food and
\nfood additives can cause autism.<\/p>\n
According to medical literature, autism is caused by genetic
\nfactors and it occurs before a child is 30 months old, while
\nsnacks are generally eaten by children over five and by adults.<\/p>\n
Some snacks are registered with the Drug and Food Supervisory
\nBoard (POM), while some others, made by smaller companies, often
\nuse ingredients that are dangerous to health, such as borax,
\nformaline and textile coloring chemicals.<\/p>\n
Concerning the safety of monosodium glutamate (MSG), the Joint
\nFAO\/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) previously
\ndecided that the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of MSG was 153 mg
\nper kilogram of body weight and the WHO recommended that babies
\nbelow 12 weeks of age should not be given MSG. In their next
\nmeeting in Feb. 1987 in the Netherlands, JECFA canceled its
\ndecision of ADI and FAO\/WHO canceled its recommendation related
\nto babies below 12 weeks old, as MSG was declared safe for
\nconsumption.<\/p>\n
In the United States, MSG has been included in the Generally
\nRecognized As Safe (GRAS) list. According to an article in the
\nMarch\/April 2000 edition of \"Food Insight\" magazine, Americans
\nconsume a daily average of 11 grams of glutamate originating from
\nfood and less than one gram of glutamate originating from MSG or
\n300 grams annually.<\/p>\n
The consumption of MSG in Indonesia in 1999 by households,
\nrestaurants and food industries, including snacks, was the same
\nas in the United States: 300 grams.<\/p>\n
In 1996, the Japanese consumed 790 grams, Koreans 1,250 grams,
\nTaiwanese 1,800 grams and Singaporeans 1,600 grams per capita.
\nAll these countries strictly adhere to the decisions made by
\nJECFA and WHO. Singapore even has a special regulation that
\nrestricts the inclusion of food additives, including MSG, in
\nfoods for babies.<\/p>\n
Japan does not have regulations that control the consumption
\nof MSG. In Indonesia the standard level of MSG has to be 99
\npercent plus, while in Japan it can be mixed with other additive
\nflavors, such as nucleotides, which are usually between two to
\neight percent.<\/p>\n
SUNARTO PRAWIROSUJANTO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/autism-caused-by-snacks-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }