E is for extraction from the stomach

You only have to look at the paucity of MPs with any scientific background or interests (77 out of 650) in those elected to see proof, he said.

Declining numbers of young people studying science has resulted in this parlous situation, he claimed. And it comes at a time when the understanding of science has never been more important. The problem is compounded by sensational stories in the papers, which are often based on very dubious evidence.

These generate misbeliefs that, once acquired, are incredibly difficult to change. A good example is many consumers’ horror of the E numbers in their food.

Thus, it will be interesting to see whether a TV programme on BBC2 next month, based on a new book by Stefan Gates entitled E numbers, proves successful in dispelling the unfounded fears that many hold about the additives.

The theatre of Gates having fat extracted from his own stomach to make glycerol (E422) and throwing up to make hydrochloric acid (E507) from his vomit to combine with other ingredients to make a cake, may prove over the top for some. (You will be relieved to hear that the cake was not eaten – ironically, because of the insanitary conditions in the lab used to produce it.)

But maybe it will help to convince people that Es will not kill them; our bodies are made up of chemicals – including over 90 with their own E numbers.

If successful, this will be just the start. There are still many food myths to dispel. For example, did you know that spinach doesn’t have a particularly high iron content? That only emerged in 1929, coinciding with a new comic strip: Popeye.

Rick Pendrous is editor of Food Manufacture​​