New campaign to ban food colourants
It sucks!: Calls to ban additives and colourants in children's foods are growing
A CAMPAIGN is underway by doctors to phase out and ban artificial food colourants and flavourings from processed foods and drinks for children.
Recent research has linked these with hyperactivity in children.
Professor Vyvyan Howard, a toxicologist at the University of Ulster, and president of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, said they were backing the call.
He said: "These chemicals have no nutritional value. A number of the colourants are, in fact, dyes made from coal tar.
"On a purely precautionary basis, they should be discontinued".
It is not always easy for parents to understand the labelling on these foods, so here is a guide:
Sunset yellow (E110)
Quinoline yellow (E104)
Carmoisine (E122)
Allura red (E129)
Tartrazine (E102)
Ponceau 4R (E124)
Parents are also advised that hyperactivity in a child is not just linked to what they eat. Other causes include upbringing, genetics and being born prematurely.
There are about 300 additives which manufacturers in the European Union are allowed to put into foods.
EU law means most additives used in foods have to be labelled clearly, either by name or by E number.
An additive that has been given an E number has passed safety tests and been approved for use in Ireland and all other EU countries.
Food additives are grouped by what they do:
> Antioxidants -- these help prolong shelf-life.
> Colours -- these make food look more attractive: some are natural, some artificial.
> Emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners -- these are used to prevent ingredients separating, and to give body to food.
> Flavourings are used to bring out the flavour in foods: some are natural, some artificial.
> Preservatives -- these stop food going off too quickly.
> Sweeteners, these are used with or instead of sugar to make food taste sweet.
Foods which may contain E numbers:
> Ice cream and fish fingers
> Soft drinks
> Yogurts
> Sweets
> Chewing gum
- Elish O'regan
