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Sunday 5 July 2009

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EFSA publishes view on colours research

Friday 14 March 2008

European Food Safety Authority

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has today issued its opinion of Agency-funded research on certain artificial food colours and children's behaviour.

In September 2007, the medical journal, The Lancet, published the research that looked at the effect of certain artificial food colours and the preservative sodium benzoate on children's behaviour.

EFSA's opinion is available at the link below.

The FSA will review EFSA's opinion in detail and discuss this and any further action at the FSA open Board meeting in April.

Agency advice

The Agency advises parents of children showing signs of hyperactivity or ADHD that cutting certain artificial colours used in the study from their diets might have beneficial effects.

The colours that featured in the study are:

Related links

Update on food colours and hyperactivity Read the previous news story

External links   The Food Standards Agency has no responsibility for the content of external websites

(External) EFSA opinion on Southampton study on food additives and children's behaviour

More advice from our eatwell website

(External) Colours (External) Intolerance to additives

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