On January 30, UFC-Que Choisir reported that sodium carboxymethyl cellulose known under the code “E466”, an emulsifier present in a large number of industrial food products, could reduce the diversity of bacteria in the intestinal flora.
It is found in ice creams, dessert creams, milk drinks or even creamy cheeses. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is an emulsifier, namely a food additive designated by the code “E466” on the labels of many processed foods. This thickener, gelling agent, stabilizer and glazing agent is used to extend the shelf life and improve the texture and appearance of several products. Problem : “Studies performed on mice showed that it had adverse effects, causing deleterious changes in the intestinal flora and inflammation of the colon”, indicated the UFC-Que Choisir in a statement published on January 30.
The association said that these suspicions were confirmed by a study conducted on human beings and recently published in the medical journal Gastroenterology. As part of this work, the French researchers followed healthy volunteers for 11 days. The participants were divided into two groups. “The food of the first group had a large addition of CMC, the food of the second group was exactly the same but without CMC”, clarified the UFC-Que Choisir.
A reduction in the diversity of bacteria making up the microbiota
According to the results, a modification of the intestinal flora, with a lower diversity within the bacteria, was observed in people who ingested the food additive “E466”. According to the authors of the study, a marked decrease in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, namely bacteria whose presence is correlated with good health and less inflammation, was observed.
“At the level of the substances produced by the bacteria (metabolites), a scarcity is also observed, in particular of fatty acids with short chains, compounds which are thought to be beneficial to health”, can we read on the UFC-Que Choisir website. Clinically, abdominal discomfort was reported by some participants. But one month after stopping the consumption of foods supplemented with the emulsifier, these effects of the additive were no longer noted. UFC-Que Choisir pointed out that “its results confirmed CMC’s classification in the ‘disreputable’ category of its additive database”.
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