Food additives are chemicals added to foods to keep them fresh or to enhance their colour, flavour or texture. Research has found a possible link between certain artificial colours used in food and problems with hyperactivity in children.
If your child is overactive and struggles to concentrate, it might help to cut down on these colours in their diet. 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.