Update on products free of colours associated with hyperactivity

Friday 1 May 2009

The Agency has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the six food colours associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. A further 22 manufacturers producing product lines free of the colours have been added to the list.

The list includes both companies whose product ranges have never contained the six colours as well as product ranges that have been reformulated to remove the colours. The colours, identified by a Southampton University study financed by the Food Standards Agency, are:

• sunset yellow FCF (E110)
• quinoline yellow (E104)
• carmoisine (E122)
• allura red (E129)
• tartrazine (E102)
• ponceau 4R (E124)

The 22 manufacturers are: About Foods Ltd, Clock Tower Preserves, Elizabeth Smedley (Yorkshire), Ella’s Kitchen, Fredericks Dairies, Holme Farmed Venison, Jaconelli Scarborough Ltd, Mackenzie’s Smoked Products, Payne’s Dairy Ltd, R&R Ice Cream UK Ltd, R&R Tofu Ltd, Raydale Preserves, Ribblesdale Cheesemakers, Richards Produce Ltd, Ripon Select Foods Ltd, Shepherds Purse Cheeses Ltd, 2 Sisters Food Group, The Chocolate Factory, Whitby Seafoods Ltd, Wholehog Sausage Company Ltd, Yellison Farm Goats, and Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Limited.

The Agency is publicising the product ranges to encourage the food industry to participate in the voluntary ban. The voluntary ban was agreed to by Ministers late last year.

Consumers who are particularly concerned about the presence of the colours will be advised to continue to check labels, especially in the case of products with a long shelf-life where the availability of reformulated products may vary.

Any food manufacturer, retailer or caterer wishing to notify the Agency that their brands or products are free of these colours, should email details to Clair Baynton, at clair.baynton@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk.

The Agency’s website will be updated regularly as new information is provided.