HARMFUL ARTIFICIAL & NATURAL COLOURINGS
At least 15 colourings can provoke intolerant or allergic reactions in some people, producing asthma, migraine, eczema, urticaria (rashes) or hyperactivity. Certain colours have also produced questionable results in animal tests, such as thyroid and kidney damage. A child can consume between five and twenty different colourings during one meal. Yet colour additives have not been tested in the real-life cocktails in which we eat them.
Questionable and non-essential colours should be prohibited from foods commonly eaten by children, such as orange drinks, meat products, fish fingers, mayonnaise, ice cream, wafers. The table lists some of the colourings in use and the adverse effects that have been recorded.
Code |
Name |
Banned/Restricted in |
Side effects |
102 |
Tartrazine (Pesticide Active ingredient USA) |
Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden Heavily restricted in Austria |
Provokes asthma, rashes, hyperactivity in sensitive people. Could adversely affect digestive enzymes. |
110 |
Sunset Yellow |
Norway, Finland, Sweden |
Provokes asthma, rashes, hyperactivity. Affected Kidneys of rats. Could adversely affect digestive enzymes. |
120 |
Cochineal |
|
Potentially toxic to embryos, hypersensitivity. |
122 |
(Azorubine) Carmoisine |
USA, Norway, Japan, Finland |
Provokes asthma, rashes, hyperactivity, in sensitive people. Could adversely affect digestive enzymes. |
123 |
Amaranth |
USA, Soviet Union, Norway, Finland Heavily restricted in European Union (1) |
Provokes asthma, rashes, hyperactivity, in sensitive people. Caused cancer and gene damage in some laboratory tests. Could adversely affect digestive enzymes. |
124 |
Ponceau 4R |
USA, Norway, Sweden, Canada |
Provokes asthma, rashes, hyperactivity in sensitive people. Damaged genes in laboratory tests. Found to inhibit EFA's. |
127 |
Erythrosine (Pesticide Active ingredient USA) |
Norway, European Union (1), Australia |
May provoke asthma, rashes, hyperactivity in sensitive people. Caused thyroid damage/cancer in rats. |
129 |
Allura Red AC |
Norway, Finland, Austria |
Provokes rashes in sensitive people. |
132 |
Indigo Carmine |
Norway |
May provoke asthma, rashes, hyperactivity. Caused cancer and gene damage in some laboratory tests. |
133 |
Brilliant Blue |
Norway, Austria, Switzerland |
Provokes rashes in sensitive people. Caused kidney tumours in animal tests. |
142 |
Green S |
Norway, USA, Japan, Canada |
May Provoke asthma rashes and hyperactivity. |
150 |
Caramels |
UK. Government report of 1979 said some people consumed more than the recommended safe dose. |
Some caramels reduce white blood cells in rats. May reduce vitamin B6. |
151 |
Black PN |
USA, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Canada |
Provokes asthma, rashes, hyperactivity. High doses produce cysts in pigs. Could adversely affect digestive enzymes. |
155 |
Brown HT |
USA, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Japan |
Provokes asthma, rashes and hyperactivity in sensitive people. |
160b |
Annatto |
Restricted in European Union (1) |
Provokes skin rashes in sensitive people. Safety tests inadequate. |
(1). European Union: United Kingdom and other Common Market countries.
Source: London Food Commission, Food Adulteration and How to Beat It, Unwin 1988.
June 2003 |