Cadbury-Schweppes to end use of artificial colors

LONDON Cadbury Schweppes said it will remove all artificial colors from its candies by the end of 2008 because of health concerns over the possible effects on child behavior related to artificially colored sweets.

“Cadbury can confirm that we have listened to consumers and are committed to replacing all artificial colors in our sweets by the end of this year,” Tony Bilsborough, Cadbury spokesperson, said.

Additives like artificial colors have garnered much public criticism lately, particularly following the publication of a Southampton Study last year that linked certain artificial colors to hyperactivity in children.

The UK Food Standards Agency last week urged voluntary removal of the additives and asked the European Food Safety Authority to eventually ban the colorings. Some European candy makers, such as Nestle Rowntree, have already omitted artificial colors.

Six colors have been named by the Southampton study linked to hyperactivity; they are were allura red (E129), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110) and tartrazine (E102).