Six dyes and an additive already under strict surveillance in the diet are singled out by a British pressure group which believes that there is a link between the taking of drugs by young children and the risk of developing a disorder attention deficit.
Researchers at the University of Southampton, in Great Britain, who carried out this study, in fact discovered traces of these additives in some pediatric medicines. However, the presence of tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sun yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau red (E124) and allura red (E129) should normally be accompanied by a statement specifying that there is “risk of adverse effects on activity and attention in children”. Ditto for sodium benzoate, a preservative, which is also implicated in a large number of cases of hyperactivity syndrome in children.
‘The use of artificial colors in foods, in particular those intended for infants and young children under 36 months, has been prohibited in the European Union for more than 20 years and when these colors are used in baking, yogurt or certain syrups, this should be accompanied by warnings about adverse health effects. But, as the lobby group points out, these additives do not obey the same regulations when used in medicines. The British High Authority for Health (the NHS) has therefore taken up the matter to encourage pharmaceutical companies to purely and simply remove these dyes from their pediatric medicines. “Three of the six dyes involved have been associated with genetic mutations in animal studies. And the European Food Safety Agency itself (EFSA) asked, last June, that further investigations be carried out on these dyes ”argue the researchers.
A few weeks ago, a famous brand of sodas was finger pointing because it has still not eliminated from its recipe the caramel coloring (E150 b, c, d), although it is classified in the list of carcinogenic products.
