Additives

A cocktail of artificial food colours and the preservative sodium benzoate could be linked to hyperactivity in children, according to a UK study.

Recording the responses of about 150 three-year olds and 150 eight to nine-year olds to various drinks containing additives, scientists at Southampton University found that some additives had "deleterious effects".

Writing in the Lancet, lead author Jim Stevenson said: "These findings show that adverse effects are not just seen in children with extreme hyperactivity (such as ADHD) but can also be seen in the general population and across the range of severities of hyperactivity."

However he added that parents should not think that simply taking these additives out
of food would prevent all hyperactive disorders. "We know that many other influences
are at work, but this at least is one a child can avoid."

The Food Standards Agency, which commissioned the study, say that there are many factors associated with hyperactive behaviour in children including genetic factors, being born prematurely, or environment and upbringing. But they say that food additives are listed on labels so parents can make the choice to avoid certain products, which might have some beneficial effects.

The additives that caused concern were:

Sunset yellow (E110)
Quinoline yellow (E104)
Carmoisine (E122)
Allura red (E129)
Sodium benzoate (E211)