14/11/08 The Food Standards Agency Chief Executive, Tim Smith, has written to stakeholders giving an update on the UK position on six artificial food colours and their effect on children's behaviour. Government Ministers have now agreed with the Agency proposal for a voluntary ban on these colours.

The Agency recommendation followed the Southampton study which looked into the effects of these colours, and proposed voluntary action by UK manufacturers to remove these artificial colours by the end of 2009.

The Agency will be working closely with manufacturers and retailers as they take this issue forward.

Within Europe there is an ongoing review of all food additives, which has started with colours. Proposals for new legislation on food additives (to update the existing law) contain a requirement that, 18 months after the new law comes into force, food placed on the market containing any of the six colours used in the Southampton study should carry additional label information that 'consumption may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. This requirement is likely to come into force around the middle of 2010.

Agency advice to parents on colours and hyperactivity can be found at the link below.

The six food colourings in question are:

* E102 Tartrazine
* E104 Quinoline Yellow
* E110 Sunset Yellow
* E122 Carmoisine
* E124 Ponceau 4R
* E129 Allura Red

The stakeholder letter can be found at the link below.