UK market responds to artificial colouring concerns

UK food and beverage manufacturers have committed themselves to removing artificial colours from their products by the end of 2008, in reaction to a recent study that linked artificial colours to increased hyperactivity in children.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Southampton and published in The Lancet , suggests that a mixture of certain food colours and the preservative sodium benzoate could be linked to child hyperactivity or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The six colours of concern are sunset yellow (E110), tartrazine (E102), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red (E129).

While the elimination of the additives is currently voluntarily, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it would consider a proposed statement: “The FSA would like to see food producers and providers take the necessary voluntary action to remove the specified colours from the food chain by a specific date e.g. October 2008 at which point the FSA will consider what regulatory action might be taken.”

The FSA are looking into removing sodium benzoate from food and beverages as well.

“However, a replacement for sodium benzoate as a preservative in soft drinks is causing difficulty and a solution has yet to be discovered,” the FSA stated.