Burger King Tests Coca-Cola Freestyle Drinks System in UK, Reintroduces Artificial Colors

Burger King will therefore be removed from the Food Standards Agency’s list of caterers and restaurants whose food/products is/are free from these colours.

12 Jul 2012 --- Burger King has reintroduced, in a small number of its restaurants, some of the food colours that have been associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. The company has reintroduced the colours as a result of trialling the Coca-Cola Freestyle drinks dispensing system for six months.

The trial ends in December 2012.

Burger King will therefore be removed from the Food Standards Agency’s list of caterers and restaurants whose food/products is/are free from these colours.

The vending machine allows users to choose from a variety of different flavours, but for technical reasons, Coca-Cola says it was unable to remove all of the colours associated with possible hyperactivity from the drinks system before the trial. It has, however, reaffirmed its commitment to remove these colours from its entire product range.

A research study funded by the Agency identified six food colours that have been associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. The colours are:

•    sunset yellow FCF (E110)
•    quinoline yellow (E104)
•    carmoisine (E122)
•    allura red (E129)
•    tartrazine (E102)
•    ponceau 4R (E124)

The Agency is encouraging the food industry to voluntarily remove these colours from their products. As companies remove them from their products and notify the Agency, the Agency publishes details online.