[Greens-Media] Safer Smarties, no thanks to Australia's food regulator

[John Kaye]

Safer Smarties, no thanks to Australia's food regulator

Media release: 20 December 2008

While Nestle Australia has agreed to dump the six bright artificial food dyes linked to hyperactivity disorders, the nation's food regulator still refuses to act, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Dr Kaye said: "The body charged with setting the standards on the food supply, FSANZ, is playing statistical games with the health of young people. 

"Nestle Australia has finally bowed to pressure and will follow its British branch in removing the colourings.

"Australia has at last joined the UK in having safer Smarties.

"However, a large number of other food products on the Australian market still have large concentrations of these dyes.

"While these colourings are being phased out in European countries and the USA, FSANZ is ignoring the scientific evidence and refusing to ban them or at least insist on mandatory warnings on the front of packets.

"Those children who do respond to these dyes have been deserted by the food regulator.

"FSANZ's own chief scientist Dr Paul Brent admits that some children do react. The best advice he can give their parents is to memorise the three digit codes of these six dyes and police everything their children eat.

"FSANZ is pushing the problem back onto parents and setting them an impossible task.

"The nation's food regulator is refusing to admit that these dyes have no nutritional value and that removing them from the diet would save a large number of children from attention disorders.

"Nestle Australia is showing that the colourings are unnecessary.

"FSANZ should catch up and insist that all food manufacturers and importers follow Nestle's lead," Dr Kaye said.

For more information:	John Kaye 0407 195 455