The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA), after reviewing recent research conducted by the University of Southampton, recommends that manufacturers stop using a number of food colorants.
In a press release from the University of Southampton, it is stated that recent studies by university researchers show that consumption of foods containing certain synthetic dyes leads to increased hyperactivity in children.
The study involved the following colorants: E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, and E129. The products also contained sodium benzoate (preservative E211), but the researchers did not link increased hyperactivity to this additive.
The study was funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). It involved 153 three-year-old children and 144 eight-year-olds. The children were randomly selected from the general population of Southampton and represented a full range of behavior, from typical to hyperactive. For six weeks, half of the children received daily drinks containing food colorants and the preservative sodium benzoate. The other half consumed fruit juices.
Children who consumed the colorant-containing drinks showed a marked increase in hyperactivity. They became more restless, impulsive, and inattentive. This research confirmed and expanded on a previous similar study commissioned by the FSA. The research team relied on their own observations as well as reports from teachers and parents. Neither the teachers, nor the parents, nor the children themselves knew which group each child belonged to or what they were drinking.
After analyzing the results, the FSA held a meeting with representatives of the UK food industry to discuss the findings and recommend that manufacturers stop using the identified colorants in food production.
The FSA also advises parents of children with hyperactivity issues to eliminate foods containing the following colorants from their diet: E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, and E129. However, parents should not assume that removing these additives alone will resolve hyperactivity in their child. Many other factors may also contribute to hyperactivity, such as genetics and upbringing.