"There is good reason to think that certain additives create harm well beyond hyperactivity in children -- they may also play an important role in disease and mental illness in adults.... these dangerous chemicals have remained legal for use in food.
It is true that some additives are required for food production.
Nonetheless, we must demand that our government adopts the precautionary principle.
This was described by the Guardian as "an embarrassment" to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which approved the use of the following chemicals, well known for their adverse effects on many children: sunset yellow (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) ponceau 4R (E124), and sodium benzoate (E211).
All but sodium benzoate, an antibacterial preservative, are colours with natural replacements available. The purity of the chemicals involved is controlled for industrial use but not for their use in foods.
The issue now is connected with the scapegoating of young people -- the FSA's response to the University of Southampton report which was the basis for the recent newspaper scares was called "Hyperactivity And Colours: Advice To Parents".
Read more from Rachel's
It is true that some additives are required for food production.
Nonetheless, we must demand that our government adopts the precautionary principle.
This was described by the Guardian as "an embarrassment" to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which approved the use of the following chemicals, well known for their adverse effects on many children: sunset yellow (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) ponceau 4R (E124), and sodium benzoate (E211).
All but sodium benzoate, an antibacterial preservative, are colours with natural replacements available. The purity of the chemicals involved is controlled for industrial use but not for their use in foods.
The issue now is connected with the scapegoating of young people -- the FSA's response to the University of Southampton report which was the basis for the recent newspaper scares was called "Hyperactivity And Colours: Advice To Parents".
Read more from Rachel's
