Allergens and Food Additives, Including Potentially Harmful Ones, Present in Food Products that Are Preferred By Children and Adolescents

INTRODUCTION: The proper development of a child is linked with proper nutrition, including nutritional habits which are formed from childhood. THE AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to establish a list of the most popular food products among children and to develop a register of potentially dangerous substances on a Facebook website. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A website was created on Facebook. The participants provided lists of favorite dishes or products. RESULTS: The study involved 264 participants. An inverse correlation was observed with reference to the age of the subjects and the occurrence of sugar syrup in their diet (R=-0.20; p<0.001), glucose-fructose (R= -0.18; p< 0.004), and glucose (R=-0.13; p< 0.039) syrups. The most common potential food allergens are: gluten (R=0.28; p<0.001), eggs (R=0.28; p<0.001), and wheat (R=0.25; p<0.001). The main substances added to food that are present in a child’s diet that increase proportionally with reference to the child’s age are: salicylates (R=0.37; p<0.001), iron and ammonium sulfates (R=0.21; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The choices of favorite products are related to age and sex. Products containing gluten, the consumption of which increases with age, carry a risk of undiagnosed celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity in people with a genetic predisposition. Facebook has fulfilled its role as an effective tool for gathering information about the food preferences of children and adolescents.