
Food companies avoid food colourings associated with hyperactivity in children
The FSA has updated its list of products that do not contain the six food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. It has also published guidance to help food businesses remove these colours from the foods they prepare.
Simon Howie Foods, Dominos, Subway, Pizza Hut and the Pudding Pie Cookery School are amongst companies publicised by the FSA for having product ranges that have never contained the six colours or that have reformulated their product ranges to remove the colours.
The colours, identified by a Southampton University study financed by the Food Standards Agency, are:
• sunset yellow FCF (E110)
• quinoline yellow (E104)
• carmoisine (E122)
• allura red (E129)
• tartrazine (E102)
• ponceau 4R (E124)
The Agency is publicising the product ranges to encourage the food industry to participate in the voluntary ban. The voluntary ban was agreed by Ministers in November 2008.
In September, the FSA published guidance that includes technical details to provide businesses with more information about alternative colours that may be appropriate for their products. The guidance can be found here.
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