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E-numbers linked to hyperactivity
Further evidence of a link between artificial food colourings and hyperactivity has today been published in The Lancet medical journal.
The study commissioned by the Food Standards Agency tested groups of three-year-old and eight-year-old children in Southampton. Scientists, teachers and parents monitored the children's reaction to two different mixtures of E-numbers and a placebo over a period of six weeks.
They found that in the children given a daily intake of artificial additives, three out of four sets showed a statistically significant increase in hyperactive behaviour.
Results of the last major study by the government into food additives had been considered inconclusive, partly because the children's behaviour was only witnessed by parents, not professional clinicians. The new study was engineered to overcome these problems.
Responding to the findings, independent advisors the Committee on Toxicity agreed that 'certain mixtures of artificial food colours together with the preservative sodium benzoate are associated with an increase in hyperactivity in children from the general population.'
The FSA has revised its advice to consumers in light of the findings, but it rejected calls to ban food additives.
Dr Andrew Wadge, the FSA's Chief Scientist, said: 'If parents are concerned about any additives they should remember that, by law, food additives must be listed on the label so they can make the choice to avoid the product if they want to.'
Additives tested in the study were the colours tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4 R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura Red AC (E129), plus the preservative sodium benzoate (E211).
Category: Healthy Lifestyle
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