Since writing about the continued presence in some foods of the “Southampton additives” – the six colours and sodium benzoate shown by research at Southampton University to be linked to hyperactivity and other behavioural disorders in children – I’ve been on the look-out for the offending additives on ingredients labels.
Watch out for medicines
I was horrified to notice, this morning, that our one year-old daughter’s prescribed medicine contains two of the additives: sodium benzoate (E211) and quinoline yellow (E104). The medicine in question is an anti-biotic, Amoxicillin Oral Suspension 125mg/5ml BP Sugar Free, prescribed for an ear infection. Its lurid yellow colour and sickly fake-banana smell was enough to cause suspicion, though I have to admit it appealed enough to our daughter for her to take her dose submissively, even enthusiastically.
Parents seeking to follow the Food Standards Agency’s advice to avoid products with the Southampton additives need to watch out for medicines as well as the more usual suspects of confectionery, soft drinks and other foods.
Side effects?
While various side-effects are listed on the medicine’s information sheet, including possible ill-effects from another additive, sorbitol (E420), there’s no mention of the possible effects of E211 and E104 on a child’s behaviour. The research establishing the link to hyperactivity has been documented in the leading medical research journal, The Lancet.
Still, while food manufacturers are – in some cases, painfully slowly – removing the Southampton additives from their products, it seems that medicines may be overlooked. And it’s even harder for parents to avoid medicines with the additives, as a medicine may simply be prescribed or only list the ingredients inside the pack.
Vigilant campaigning
The ever-vigilant Food Commission is on the case, noting in the Food Magazine that 40% of children’s medicines surveyed in early 2008 contained one or more of the additives and campaigning for pharmaceutical manufacturers to remove them. As the progress of some food manufacturers is demonstrating, there’s no need to use these additives at all any more.
The Food Commission’s Action on Additives website lists medicines containing the additives as well as foods, though the extensive list is sadly incomplete – Amoxicillin is not listed. (The website allows users to submit details of additional products.)
