10.08.2024.
Research has found a possible link between certain artificial colours used in food and problems with hyperactivity in children (source UK NHS).
- Food additives are ingredients that are added to foods to carry out particular functions.
- Manufacturers must provide information about any additives used in the foods they produce. You can find this information in the list of ingredients on the packaging. It will tell you what each additive does, followed by its name or E number.
If your child is overactive and struggles to concentrate, it might help to cut down on these colours in their diet. But speak to their GP first.
Food colours linked to hyperactivity
All food additives, including artificial colours have an E number, which means they’ve passed safety tests and are approved for use in the EU.
According to research funded by the Food Standards Agency, the 6 food colours most closely linked to hyperactivity in children are:
- E102 (tartrazine)
- E104 (quinoline yellow)
- E110 (sunset yellow FCF)
- E122 (carmoisine)
- E124 (ponceau 4R)
- E129 (allura red)
These colours are used in several foods, including soft drinks, sweets, cakes and ice cream.
Should my child avoid these food colours?
If your child is hyperactive, or has attenction deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there’s some evidence to suggest that avoiding these 6 food colours may help.
But it’s important to be aware that:
- hyperactivity can have many different causes, including genetics, and food colours are probably only a small part of the problem
- removing food colours from your child’s diet will not necessarily lead to an improvement in their behaviour
- the link between food colours and hyperactivity is not completely certain; more research is needed to confirm it
- you do not need to avoid all E numbers; there are hundreds of different E numbers and most are not linked to hyperactivity
If you think your child’s diet may be affecting their behaviour, it might help to keep a diary of what they eat and how their behaviour changes, so you can see any patterns.
If you notice a possible link between food colours and their behaviour, you may want to see if avoiding these colours helps. But do not make changes to your child’s diet without getting advice from their GP first.
How to avoid these food colours
You can avoid food colours linked to hyperactivity by checking food labels and looking for alternative products that do not contain them.
All artificial food colours should be included in the list of ingredients, with either their E number or full name.
If any of the 6 food colours mentioned on this page are included, the label must also have a warning saying the colour “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.
If you buy food or drink without packaging, you’ll need to ask the manufacturer or the person selling the product if it contains artificial colours.
Different types of food additives
Food additives are grouped by what they do. The additives that you are most likely to come across on food labels are:
- antioxidants – these stop food becoming rancid or changing colour by reducing the chance of fats combining with oxygen
- colours
- emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners – these help to mix or thicken ingredients
- preservatives – used to keep food safer for longer
- sweeteners – including intense sweeteners like stevia and aspartame which are many times sweeter than sugar.
E numbers
A food additive is only approved if; it has been tested and proved to be safe for its intended use; there is a justifiable technological need to use it; and its use does not mislead the consumer.
All the foods we eat consist of chemicals in one form or another. Many food additives are chemicals which exist in nature such as antioxidants ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or citric acid, found in citrus fruits.
Due to technological advancements, many other additives are now man-made to perform certain technological functions. Whether or not the chemicals used in additives exist in nature, they are subject to the same safety evaluations.
Some consumers think of food additives (E numbers) as a modern invention used to make cheap foods. In reality, food additives have a long history of consumption and are used in many traditional foods. For example, wines including Champagne contain sulphites, and bacon contains the preservatives nitrates and nitrites to prevent the growth of botulism.
Sweeteners
As with all other food additives, sweeteners must undergo a safety evaluation before they are authorised for use in food.
Only people who are diagnosed at birth with phenylketonuria need to avoid foods containing certain sweeteners, i.e. aspartame and aspartame-acesulfame salt. This is because they cannot consume foods containing phenylalanine which includes foods such as meat, dairy and nuts.
Due to reported concerns about sensitivity to aspartame (e.g. headaches, dizziness and stomach upsets) the Food Standards Agency commissioned research to investigate this further. People who self-reported sensitivity to aspartame were either given a cereal bar with or without aspartame; but were not told which bar they had consumed. The results showed that there was no difference in reported symptoms after eating the aspartame containing bar compared to the normal bar.
This study only investigated possible short-term effects of aspartame consumption. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion (Opens in a new window) concluded that aspartame and its breakdown products are safe for the general population, at current levels of exposure.
Glycerol
Slush ice drinks can contain the ingredient glycerol as a substitute for sugar, at a level required to create the ‘slush’ effect. At this level, we recommend that children aged four years and under should not consume these drinks.
This is due to their potential to cause side-effects such as headaches and sickness, particularly when consumed in excess.
For more information on glycerol and guidelines for businesses that produce slush drinks, see the Approved additives and E numbers page.
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