The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has updated its list of product ranges that do not contain the six food colors associated with possible hyperactivity in young children. The manufacturer Cloetta and its Chewits product line have been added to list, as has Tangerine Confectionery’s Candyland product line. Both these product lines are free from the six colors.

The list includes companies that have product ranges that have never contained the six colors and companies that have reformulated their product ranges to remove the colors. The colors, identified by a Southampton University study financed by the Food Standards Agency, are:

• sunset yellow FCF (E110)
• quinoline yellow (E104)
• carmoisine (E122)
• allura red (E129)
• tartrazine (E102)
• ponceau 4R (E124)

The FSA is publicizing the product ranges to encourage the food industry to participate in the voluntary ban. The voluntary ban was agreed by ministers in November 2008.

Consumers who are particularly concerned about the presence of the colours should continue to check labels, especially in the case of products with a long shelf-life, where the availability of reformulated products may vary.

Any food manufacturer, retailer or caterer wishing to notify the FSA that their brands or products are free of these colors should email the details to Benedict Duncan at: benedict.duncan@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

The FSA's website will be updated regularly as new information is provided.