13 September 2007 - A study published by researchers at the University of Southampton last week demonstrates that young children who consume food and drinks containing the mixture of artificial colours and the preservative sodium benzoate have increased levels of hyperactivity.
Psychology professor, Jim Stevenson, said:
“We now have clear evidence that mixtures of certain food colours and benzoate preservative can adversely influence the behaviour of children. There is some previous evidence that some children with behavioural disorders could benefit from the removal of certain food colours from their diet. We have now shown that for a large group of children in the general population, consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and benzoate preservative can influence their hyperactive behaviour … However parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent all hyperactive disorders. We know that many other influences are at work but this at least is one a child can avoid”.
Besides the preservative sodium benzoate (E211), the artificial colours tested in the study were tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129).
The research undertaken by the University of Southampton’s Schools of Psychology and Medicine was funded by a GBP 0.75 million grant from the UK’s Food Standards Agency.
Further to its publication, the European Commission asked European Union food safety officials to probe the British study. The European Food Safety Authority will be looking into the matter.
After review, the EU could either decide the additives in question are safe, or decide the additives are safe enough to stay on the market but must obey strict labelling norms.
The EU could even decide the additives are unsafe for public consumption and ban them entirely from the E.U. market. The food colour Red 2G (E128) was already banned last month.
Mars and Cadbury to Drop E Numbers
In response to these findings, the UK branches of confectionery giants Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Mars Inc. stated they wish to scrap artificial additives from their products.
British papers today report that Mars Inc., which currently uses one or more of the highlighted additives in “Skittles”, “Starburst” and “M&Ms”, has promised to remove all artificial colours from “Starburst” by the end of this year.
The additives mentioned in the Southampton study will be removed from”Skittles” in the same period. All but 2 of the named additives will also be eradicated from peanut and Choco “M&Ms”, the firm told the papers.
Meanwhile, Cadbury Trebor Bassett aims to remove artificial colours from its sweets during 2008.
In a statement sent to FLEXNEWS, the confectionery firm said: "We are committed to replacing all artificial colours in our sweets. We note the Southampton University findings, but we had begun this process already because we are continually listening to our consumers. This programme has been underway for over a year, starting with Bassett's Allsorts and Jelly Babies. On top, we recently launched a new range of products, which is free of artificial colours, under the brand name of The Natural Confectionery Company. We will replace all artificial colours in the rest of our sweets during 2008."
The sweets include “Maynards” wine gums, “Bassett Murray Mints”, “Barratt Flumps” and varieties of its new “Trident” chewing gum.
By removing artificial colours from their sweets, Mars Inc. and Cadbury Trebor Bassett are joining a growing list of UK manufacturers and retailers concerned by child hyperactivity and other food safety issues.
Besides the safety aspects, the manufacturers are, at the same time, also responding to growing public and especially parental concern, as well as a rising demand for natural and organic products.
In April 2007, FLEXNEWS reported that Sainsbury's was planning to remove all artificial colours and flavours from its own-brand soft drinks, which include about 120 varieties of sodas, mixed drinks and juices. Marks & Spencer and Asda will do the same by the end of the year.
In May, Britvic announced it would remove flavours and colours from its Tango range. From July 2007 Tango will contain only natural flavours and colours, the drinks firm said in a statement.
E211 – Doesn’t it ring a bell?
Sodium benzoate (E211) made the news in May 2007 when a professor at the University of Sheffield pointed out towards its “dangerous” aspects.
The preservative Sodium benzoate can be used to kill most yeasts, bacteria, and fungi found in food and drink. It is also used to increase the shelf life of many soft drinks.
E211 was already a subject of concern in the past because when mixed with vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A 2006 UK Food Standards Agency survey on benzene in beverages found high levels in 4 brands, which were then removed from the market.
In a statement sent to FLEXNEWS, Professor Peter Piper of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, expanded on his claims by saying that in his laboratory he conducted research on the potential health risk of benzoate using yeast as a model test system. He found out that benzoate can cause “substantial damage” to mitochondria, the small ‘power stations’ within our cells that consume most of the oxygen we breathe in order to generate Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP).
To sum up, Professor Piper said that sodium benzoate by itself can damage and inactivate vital parts of DNA in a cell's mitochondria.
“An efficient operation of these mitochondria is vital, as ATP represents the usable currency form of energy for most of the chemical reactions of our cells”, he said.
He then went on to claim that DNA “damage of this kind has been linked to several medical conditions. It is thought to be instrumental in the liver cirrhosis caused by chronic alcoholism, the neuronal cell death of Parkinson’s disease, as well as to the progressive decline in our general state of health in old age”.