Food Standards Agency Calls For a Voluntary Ban on Certain Food Additives

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) last week issued its advise to
government ministers following research (funded by the FSA) into the
effects of certain food colours on children's behaviour. The Agency has
called for voluntary action by manufacturers in the UK to remove these
colours by 2009, with a view to phasing them out in food and drink
across the European Union (EU).

The specific additives, found in sweets and soft drinks commonly
consumed by children, are the artificial colours:
· Sunset yellow (E110)
· Quinoline yellow (E104)
· Carmoisine (E122)
· Allura red (E129)
· Tartrazine (E102)
· Ponceau 4R (E124)

The effect of these additives on the behavoiur of children was examinmed
in a rigourous study by researchers at the University of Southampton,
published in the Lancet last year. Average children from the general
population of Southampton (153 three-year-olds and 144 eight-year-olds)
were given identical looking daily drinks containing either a mixture of
the additives listed above plus sodium benzoate (a preservative) at
different concentrations, or pure fruit juice over a six week period.
The additive containing drinks resulted in significantly increased
hyperactivity.

The research team used a combination of reports on the children's
behaviour from teachers and parents, together with recordings of the
children's behaviour in the classroom made by an observer, and, for the
older children, a computer-based test of attention. None of the
participants – teachers, parents, the observer, or the children – knew
which drink each child was taking at any one time. Note that sodium
benzoate was not listed by the FSA. This is because its effects could
not be isolated from that of the food colourings; they stated,
therefore, that more research would be required to justify a voluntary
ban. To read the study abstract click here.

The mechanism by which the additives increase hyperactivity is not yet
understood, but since the additives have no function other than to give
the food a certain appearance the Agency believes the recommendations
are proportionate. The Agency has concluded that recent evidence has
shaken the confidence that can be placed in the safety of the specified
additives. Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the Food Standards Agency,
summarises: "It is the Agency's duty to put consumers first. These
additives give colour to foods but nothing else. It would therefore be
sensible, in the light of the findings of the Southampton Study, to
remove them from food and drink products. UK industry has already taken
great strides to remove these colours from food; this decision builds on
the work already done and will encourage industry to continue down this
path."

The view of the FSA has been opposed by the Food and Drink Federation
trade body, who called it "bizarre". Certain foods, such as mushy peas,
battenberg cakes and turkish delight, would have to be temporarily
removed from the market.

Nutrition experts have been concerned about the effects of food
additives for some time; given that colourings perform no function other
than to make products often consisting of little more than sugar look
consumer friendly there is no reason not to applaud the FSA.

From Nutri's Newsletter No. 98