Avoid Food Additives
Scientists are warning parents to avoid artificial additives in food and drinks after a new study links them to behavioural problems, poor concentration and allergic reactions.The research, carried out by a team from Southampton University, confirms earlier studies suggesting additives can cause reactions.
And although the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it would not issue formal recommendations until the findings were published, independent experts said parents should avoid foodstuffs containing the additives. Vyvyan Howard, professor of bio-imaging at Ulster University and an adviser to the FSA, said he didn't feed his 15 month old daughter with foods containing additives and that other parents could protect their children by doing the same.
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Calling for manufacturers to remove additives, he said, "It is the right thing to do to remove these additives from children's foods. They have no nutritional value, so why put them in? There are very tight restrictions banning these additives from foods designed for children under the age of one. But why stop there? Children's brains and nervous systems are developing beyond the age of one."
The research tested the effects of colour additives on two groups of children, aged 3 years and 8-10 years. Exact details will not be published until they have been reviewed but it has been leaked that the results support claims made in earlier study seven years ago.
Professor Howard advised parents, "It is biologically plausible that there could be an effect from these additives. While you are waiting for the results to come out you can choose not to expose your children to these substances."
The colours tested were tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129), along with sodium benzoate (E211), which is commonly used in soft drinks. Some of the additives are already banned from use in the USA and some Scandanavian countries.
Smarties have already stopped the use of artificial colours resulting in the disappearance of blue smarties, and next month Sainsbury's will become the first supermarket to ban artificial colours and flavourings in its own-label soft drinks.
May 2007
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