UK FSA Urging EU For Phase Out of Certain Artificial Colours

10/04/08 The Food Standards Agency Board met today to discuss the possible effects of certain food colours on children's behaviour and to agree advice to Ministers to help inform the UK's negotiating position in Europe on this issue.

This discussion took place following the publication last September of research into these colours by Southampton University and in the light of the review of this work by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which was published in March.

The Board agreed to advise UK Ministers that there should be voluntary action by manufacturers in the UK to remove these colours by 2009. In addition, there should be action to phase them out in food and drink in the European Union (EU) over a specified period.

Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the Food Standards Agency, said: 'It is the Agency's duty to put consumers first. These additives give colour to foods but nothing else. It would therefore be sensible, in the light of the findings of the Southampton Study, to remove them from food and drink products. UK industry has already taken great strides to remove these colours from food; this decision builds on the work already done and will encourage industry to continue down this path.'

The Board also discussed the Agency's advice on this issue. At present, Agency advice is:

Parents of children showing signs of hyperactivity are advised that cutting certain artificial colours from their diets might have some beneficial effects. These colours are:
• Sunset yellow (E110)
• Quinoline yellow (E104)
• Carmoisine (E122)
• Allura red (E129)
• Tartrazine (E102)
• Ponceau 4R (E124)

Food Standards Agency Chief Scientist, Andrew Wadge, said: 'This advice is proportionate and based on the best available science. However, we need to remember that there are many factors associated with hyperactive behaviour in children other than diet. These are thought to include genetic factors, being born prematurely, or environment and upbringing.'

The Board requested that advice to parents is simplified and strengthened as much as possible, and the Agency updates its advice in the light of the Board's discussion.

The preservative sodium benzoate was also used in the Southampton study. Use of sodium benzoate is mainly restricted to soft drinks. The Board decided that advice to Ministers and consumers should focus on the colours used in the study, as the primary function of sodium benzoate is as a preservative.

The Board decision does not mean that there is an immediate ban on the use of the six colours in food and drink products. The FSA is recommending to UK Ministers that industry takes voluntary action to remove these colours by 2009 and is pressing for action at EU level.

Once the FSA has given its advice, UK Ministers will discuss this with other Government departments. These discussions will inform the UK’s negotiating position in Europe on this issue.

Responding to the FSA decision to recommend phasing out of the Southampton study colours in food and drink in the EU and voluntary ban by 2009 in the UK, Julian Hunt, Food and Drink Federation Director of Communications said: “UK food and drink manufacturers are already taking these colours out of products on supermarket shelves, so we are surprised the FSA Board feels it is an appropriate use of their powers to call for a voluntary ban.”

“The UK industry has for a number of years been responding to consumers' demands for fewer artificial additives in food and drinks. Our members have been reducing the use of the colours highlighted in the Southampton study. The overwhelming majority of products don't contain these particular colours. However, there are a handful of popular food and drinks where reformulation has not been possible for technical reasons and we are concerned these will have to be taken off shop shelves.

“The FSA proposal puts the UK at odds with the rest of Europe, where decisions about the safety of additives are made. Such a ban could not apply to imports from Europe since the UK would be the only country to ban these colours, which raises questions about how workable it really is.”