The list of product ranges and companies whose products do not contain the six food colours associated with hyperactivity in children has been updated today. Although food colouring causing hyperactivity is still only theorised, most food hygiene and safety experts agree it’s best to avoid the colourings altogether. Indeed, the purpose of publishing the ‘safe list’ are to encourage the entirely food industry to avoid the colourings as part of a voluntary ban that started in November 2008.
The colours were identified by Southampton University and are (in alphabetical order):
• allura red (E129)
• carmoisine (E122)
• ponceau 4R (E124)
• quinoline yellow (E104)
• sunset yellow FCF (E110)
• tartrazine (E102)
Although avoiding these colours is a popular choice for a large part of the food industry, consumers should continue to check labels if they are particularly concerned. The FSA has said that products with long shelf-lives may be especially likely to contain these substances.
Orexis Fresh Foods Ltd, Essential Cuisine and Cocoa Loco have all been added to the safe list today, as have Tom’s Pies, produced by Dartmoor Kitchen.
The Environmental Health Service will only deal with food complaints that pose a public health threat. Environmental Health officers pursue a positive and proactive approach towards ensuring compliance through their enforcement policy, which in general terms is as follows:
Let’s get the facts straight about food hygiene certificates and find out which is the most suitable for you. Yes, a food hygiene course taken online will be accepted by an Environmental Health officer and by local authorities. They are specifically designed to help you meet the legal requirement for food handlers. No, you don’t have to go to a local college or sit in a classroom to achieve your food hygiene certificate; you can take it online and sit back while your new food hygiene certificate finds its way to you through the post.
FSA To Discuss Unified Front of Pack Labelling
Four years ago, the Food Standards Agency recommended the creation of a set of principles to apply to front-of-pack labelling, to help consumers make quick, healthy and informed choices regarding nutrition. Although the majority of the food industry now adheres to some form of FOP labelling, there are still no set principles – making the conflicting labelling somewhat confusing for consumers. For example, altthough all FOP labels reflect the same nutrients – salt, sugars, fat and saturated fat – various schemes use colours other than the recommended green-yellow-red traffic light system. This means it takes longer for cosumers to compare product at a glance, defeating part of the point of clear FOP labelling.
However, in 2009, in independent study discovered the most popular and ease-to-use combination of labelling was the traffic light system with the words ‘high, medium and low’ and % Guideline Daily Amounts. Hence, this week the Food Standards Agency will dicuss proposals for a unified, but flexible system of FOP labelling that will require manufacturers and retailers to use a combination of these labelling techniques. Chief Executive, Tim Smith, said the FSA “appreciate and understand that food businesses are starting from different positions. Our proposals respond to what consumers want but also provide some flexibility for business.”