Calls for ban on food additives in Britain

Sep 24 2007

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which is the UK's food watchdog has promised the public that it will clarify it's advice on food additives.

As a result of research by scientists at Southampton University, the FSA has updated it's advice on a group of common food additives but has nevertheless stopped short of warning that all children should avoid them.

The research by Professor Jim Stevenson showed there were links between some E number additives and hyperactivity in youngsters and suggested the additives posed a threat to the psychological health of children.

However the FSA has rejected calls to warn that all children should not consume such additives and has instead promised to make it's current advice "more explicit"; the FSA has also called on the food industry to reduce its use of additives.

On the basis of Stevenson's research, the FSA advises that removing the six food colourings from the diets of hyperactive children might improve their behaviour.

But children's campaign groups are not satisfied and are calling for the FSA to go further and ban the additives outright.

The FSA has agreed to wait for a decision from the European Food Safety Authority on the issue but will in the meantime, rewrite its advice to parents concerning the group of E number additives.

FSA chairwoman Dame Deirdre Hutton, says examining every product to see whether it has particular E numbers or not is difficult and she says future advice from the FSA will be more explicit.

Dame Deirdre says there is surprise that the food industry has not responded more quickly to consumer demands in terms of taking colours out of their food.

Professor Stevenson says the health risk posed by the additives in terms of psychological health, was "sufficiently great to represent a risk to health".

He says the additives had slightly increased the overall risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the youngsters studied which is a threat in terms of their psychological health.

Nutritionists and medical experts have expressed their disappointment and outrage at the Food Standard's Agency's (FSA's) refusal to take a stronger stand on food additives.

Though several retailers have acted on the advice and are removing the additives from their products little has been done with regard to school meals, takeaways, restaurants and medications for children.

Richard Watts, coordinator of Sustain's Children's Food Campaign says it is simply not good enough to give consumers a bit more help to avoid these unnecessary additives and a ban on the additives is the only appropriate step.