Board debates colours science

Anyone who had the opportunity to hear the Board's discussion on additives and childhood behaviour will appreciate the difficulty of moving from science to policy, particularly on controversial issues such as food additives.  The Board heard from the Agency's scientists; Professor Jim Stephenson, lead author of The Lancet paper; and Professor Ieuan Hughes, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Cambridge and Chairman of the Committee on Toxicity (COT).

In my opinion, they have all done an excellent job. Sue Hattersley demonstrated the care and attention we give in the Agency to funding the best possible science to protect and promote consumer interests in relation to food.  Professor Stephenson's team is to be commended for carrying out complex behavioural science to a very high standard.  And I am also grateful to the COT for its very measured comments and advice on what this important new study does and does not permit us to conclude about the effects of colours on children's behaviour.

It will now be interesting to see the response of EFSA and the European Commission to these findings and I am hopeful that this will be done as a matter of urgency.  In the meantime, I was interested to see that the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has reached a very similar conclusion to the COT - that the study established a relationship between hyperactivity and colours, but does not demonstrate causality.