March 23 – An independent food watchdog in the UK has accused confectionery giants Cadbury and Mars of breaking promises to remove six artificial colourings from all their products by the end of 2008 that have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
The Food Commission said that Cadbury’s Creme Egg and Mini Eggs are "among products" that still contain the colours – despite vowing in September 2007 and April 2008 to eliminate their use. The second promise came as the UK’s Food Standard’s Agency launched a voluntary ban on the six colours.
The food organisation also accused Mars of continuing to manufacture two products made that still contain some of the colourings, even though the company pledged to remove all six back in September 2007.
The Food Commission said: “In March 2009 however, Starburst Choozers still contain two of the colours and Mars Revels contain three of the six colours. “
The voluntary ban came in the wake of a study published by the University of Southampton in September 2007 that found consumption of the preservative sodium benzoate (E211), or the six artificial colours; tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129), can exacerbate the behavioural problems of some children.
As FLEXNEWS reported last year, the European Union decided that any foods containing these substances will have to carry a warning on the label from the middle of 2010.
Food Commissions Action on Additives co-coordinator Anna Glayzer said: “To make these pledges at times of high media attention and then quietly neglect to honour them is simply cynical PR opportunism. It is highly irresponsible behaviour from major multinational confectioners, especially when many other companies have reformulated.”
The group also criticised the FSA’s voluntary ban, saying it was not working and instead called for a mandatory ban.
"At the moment, FSA efforts to enforce the voluntary ban consist of three very short lists hosted on a difficult to find area of the agency's website,” said Ms Glayzer.
She added: “It is of little help to parents and it fails to give an accurate picture of the UK market. A mandatory ban would be simple, effective and would take the burden off the parents."