THE expression “junk food” tends to bring to mind additive-coated snacks contained in brightly coloured packaging, sweets and cakes of numerous variety and takeaway meals from fast food chains.

In other words, the stuff of many a child’s fancy.It is no new revelation that many of these snacks have a high content of sugar, salt and fat, as well as artificial flavouring such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) .

With reports heralding the dangers of children relying on junk food despite their low nutritional value, major concerns have been raised about the health of an entire generation.