Artificial colours in kids’ food linked to cancer risk
July 18th, 2010 - 6:02 pm ICT by ANIMelbourne, July 18 (ANI):Australia may soon ban artificial food colours after a new research showed it may pose a cancer risk, as well as causing hyperactivity and allergic reactions in kids.
The study conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in the US recommended the common colours should be banned.
“These synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behaviour problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody,” said Michael F. Jacobson, CSPI executive director, co-author of the report, Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), along with its American counterpart the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said they have been closely looking at the new findings in the past week.
“We are currently assessing the data and if there is good scientific evidence, we can and will make changes,” The Daily Telegraph quoted Lydia Buchtman from Food Standards Australia New Zealand as saying.
The CSPI said the colours were contaminated with known carcinogens that caused cancer in rats.
Annually manufacturers, worldwide pour about seven million kilograms of artificial colours into common foods such as biscuits, ice creams, cordials and confectionery but many consumers complain of adverse reactions. (ANI)
- Call to ban 'cancer-causing' caramel colouring used in Coke, Pepsi - Feb 17, 2011
- Hot chips may cause cancer - Aug 01, 2010
- Cola food colouring could cause cancer - Feb 17, 2011
- Oz food watchdog approves cannabis derived ice cream, cake, beer - Mar 16, 2011
- FDA says that artificial dye is safe - Apr 02, 2011
- Lifestyle factors behind most cancers - Feb 29, 2012
- Weight-loss seeds found to be highly toxic - Mar 16, 2011
- Junk food: High Court seeks guidelines - Jan 11, 2012
- Candy packets in Britain to carry health warnings - Jun 10, 2011
- Chinese chocolate-flavoured sex paint pulled off Oz shelves over toxic fears - Oct 30, 2008
- Banned chemical found in China cosmetics - Sep 23, 2010
- Prolonged use of cell phones may trigger skin allergies - Nov 23, 2010
- Prolonged cell use, body piercing, tattoos trigger allergic reaction - Nov 15, 2010
- No need to ban peanuts in schools, airlines: Study - Nov 15, 2010
- Beware! Passive smoking riskier than you think (May 31 is World No Tobacco Day) - May 30, 2012
Tags: american counterpart, artificial colours, artificial food, behaviour problems, cancer risk, center for science in the public interest, center for science in the public interest cspi, common foods, daily telegraph, food and drug administration, food and drug administration fda, food colours, food dyes, food standards australia, food standards australia new zealand, kids food, known carcinogens, michael f jacobson, nutritional quality, synthetic chemicals