Food
Additives Tied To Child Behavior Problems
Added: May 9th, 2007 7:50 AM
The proof food additives ARE as
bad as we feared
By SEAN POULTER
Parents have been warned to avoid artificial additives
used in drinks, sweets and processed foods amid a link
to behaviour problems in children.
A study funded by the government's Food Standards
Agency(FSA) is understood to have drawn a link with
temper tantrums and poor concentration.
There are also concerns about allergic reactions such as
asthma and rashes.
The findings are potentially explosive for the entire
food industry, which faces the need to reformulate a
vast array of children's products.
Vyvyan Howard, professor of bio-imaging at Ulster
University and an adviser to the FSA, called on parents
and manufacturers to protect children.
He said: "It is biologically plausible that they
could be having an effect.
"Parents can protect their children by avoiding
foods containing the additives. I personally do not feed
these sorts of foods to my 15-month-old daughter."
He called on manufacturers and supermarkets to remove
the additives on a precautionary basis.
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."
Prof Howard is not a member of the FSA committee
assessing the latest research, however he did advise on
how the study should be conducted.
Experts on the FSA's Committee on Toxicity(CoT) are
expected to say that parents who want to minimise any
risk of an adverse reaction should avoid these
additives.
Some leading companies have already responded to
mounting evidence of harm caused by chemical additives,
particularly the vivid colours used to dress up
products.
Smarties has dropped artificial colours with the result
the blue variety has been axed.
Sainsbury's recently announced a ban on artificial
colours and flavours from 120 own label soft drinks.
This follows similar moves by Marks & Spencer and
the Co-op.
The research, carried out by a team from Southampton
University, appears to confirm earlier studies
suggesting additives can cause reactions, either
individually or as a cocktail.
The colours, tested on groups of three-year-olds and
eight-to-nine year olds, were tartrazine (E102), ponceau
4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122),
quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129).
The team also looked at the effect of the preservative
sodium benzoate (E211), which is commonly used in soft
drinks.
Precise details of the research findings are being kept
secret until they can be peer reviewed and published in
a scientific journal.
However, a source at Southampton University told the
food industry's magazine, The Grocer, that their results
are in line with earlier findings, published in 2004.
The original research, which took place on the Isle of
Wight, involved giving fruit drinks to children aged
three. In some weeks, these were laced with additives.
Parents reported changed behaviour when the youngsters
were given the additives.
However, the original findings were questioned because
they relied on anecdotal reports from parents while the
fact the children were so young made it difficult to
measure their behaviour in a meaningful way.
Because of these doubts, a second tranche of research
was commissioned following advice from an expert
committee, which included Professor Howard.
The Founder of the Hyperactive Children Support Group,
Sally Bunday, said there is good evidence that
artificial additives can have a harmful effect.
She said: "The consequences can be very serious for
both children and adults who are sensitive to these
artificial colours.
"The reaction in children can be horrendous in
terms of mood swings with crying, screaming, inability
to sleep. There can also be physical reactions such as
difficulty in breathing on skin rashes.
"For a young person there is also a risk of quite
angry mood swings."
The founder of the organic brand Organix, Lizzie Vann,
has been campaigning for a ban on all artificial
additives from children's food.
"The use of artificial additives in children’s
foods means we are conducting a long-term experiment on
our children’s health," she said.
"If the Government is serious about improving
children’s nutrition the ban on artificial food
additives must be a priority."
The Food & Drink Federation, which speaks for
manufacturers, said the colours and chemicals used by
the industry are proven to be safe.
"The use of food additives is strictly regulated
under European law," it said.
"They must be approved as safe by the appropriate
European scientific committee before they can be
used...Consumers' intake of food additives is also
closely monitored.
"A recent European Commission report on 'Dietary
Food Additive Intake' indicated that consumption of all
types of additives was within the strict safety limits
set by the legislation. Particular attention was given
to consumption by children."
The FSA and Southampton University refused to comment
until the research has been officially published.
©2007 Associated Newspapers Ltd
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Welcome to Call to Decision
Chemical Food Additives To
Child Behavior Problems
5-10-7
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