Soil Association backs call for ban on additives

The Parliamentary Forum's findings confirm the results of The Soil Association's three year study on the effects of four common food additives, suggesting that specific combinations can have a neurotoxic effect. And last year, the FSA reviewed the results of further independent research carried out on the effect of food additives on children, which also confirmed the link between hyperactive behaviour and the 'cocktail' effect of certain additives. However, the FSA recommended that only parents of hyperactive children should consider reducing food additives in their diet. The Soil Association told the FSA that this advice is totally inadequate. Emma Hockridge, Soil Association campaigner, commented: "The Soil Association supports the Parliamentary Forum's call that the FSA recommend the Government bans the use of suspect, non-essential food additives. By taking this robust rule, the FSA would be fulfilling its duty to protect public health – and in this case, children's health especially." New research also shows that if infants up to two years old and their mothers eat organic dairy foods, then the infants suffer a 36% lower incidence of eczema (an allergic reaction common among Western children). Dutch researchers say this is due either to the higher CLA level in organic milk consumed by children, or to the positive impact on the breast milk of mothers consuming organic milk. The Daily Mail has announced yesterday that they have launched a Ban the Additives campaign to support this scheme, which has already won support from leading supermarkets and manufacturers who have pledged to remove the chemicals. The Daily Mail has announced yesterday that they have launched a Ban the Additives campaign to support this scheme, which has already won support from leading supermarkets and manufacturers who have pledged to remove the chemicals.