52 children’s medicines have at least one of 'Southampton Seven' – additives proven to increase hyperactive behaviours.
In 2008, the Food Standards Agency imposed a “voluntary ban” on the six E number colourings included in the Southampton study, a move which led most supermarkets and food manufacturers to withdraw them. Synthetic colourings in food and drink targeted at children under 36 months old are subject to a European ban.
However, medicines fall under a different regulatory regime, and the substances are still commonly found in products for children. An investigation by the campaign group Action on Additives found that four of the six colourings – quinoline yell (E104), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122) and Ponceau 4R (E124) – are used in children’s medicines, including products for infants as young as two months. It called on the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (Mhra) to ban the additives from food and medicines altogether.
More on this story here.
Eddie
1 comment:
The word DISGUSTING comes to mind.
If these additives are not fit for childrens foods then they are not fit to be included in medicines.
Interestingly I found that when my children were young taking 'Calpol,' which if you ask any parent is probably the first pain killer type medicine you think of for children, always made them feel sick. They hated the stuff, and after asking the pharmacists advice I changed to a different brand. It was more a banana flavour and not so highly coloured.
I wonder were their taste buds, bodies trying to tell them that Calpol was best avoided.
All the best Jan
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