Cadbury and Mars to get rid of dangerous E-numbers

The decision by Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Mars represents a victory for the Daily Mail campaign for a legal ban on seven suspect E-number additives.

The moves will heap pressure on the Government's Food Standards Agency to support a total ban on the chemicals, which have been linked to hyperactive behaviour in children.

The FSA has been accused of complacency in failing to take any meaningful action following publication of the alarming research last week.

It has told industry leaders that removal of the additives should be a commercial decision. A number of leading firms are refusing to change their recipes.

The additives, six colours and one preservative, are commonly used in sweets, soft drinks, cakes, ice creams and other processed foods.

A study by experts at Southampton University found ordinary children without a history of hyperactive behaviour became unruly, loud and impulsive after consuming a cocktail of the additives.

However the FSA is only warning parents whose children have a history of hyperactivity that they might see a benefit by avoiding the additives.

The FSA's handling of the issue has been condemned by academics, health campaigners and consumer groups.

Even Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he wants more robust measures from the FSA. He is understood to be unhappy that the FSA is leaving it up to parents to protect their children by checking the small print on labels.

The ingredients under suspicion are the colours tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129), and the preservative sodium benzoate (E211).

Mars brands which currently use one or more of the additives include Starburst, Skittles and two verremovesions of M&Ms, peanut and Choco.

A spokesman said: "Starburst will be free from all artificial colours by the end of this year. Skittles will be free from all the artificial colours highlighted in the study by Southampton University by the end of this year.

"We have already removed four colours mentioned in the Southampton study from peanut and Choco M& Ms and we will E104 by the end of this year."

The company is actively investigating removing other related dyes and additives.

Cadbury Trebor Bassett makes a large range of popular sweets which currently use one or more of the suspect additives.

These include Maynards wine gums, Bassett Murray Mints, Barratt Flumps and varieties of its new Trident chewing gum.

The company has speeded up a programme to axe the artificial chemicals in response to the research.

A spokesman said: "Cadbury Trebor Bassett can confirm that we have listened to consumers and are committed to replacing all artificial colours in our sweets by the end of 2008.

"We note the Southampton study findings although we'd already begun a programme to replace artificial colours in our biggest brands such as Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts and Jelly Babies. All other sweet brands will now also switch before the end of next year."

As a result of the Mail's highlighting of the issue, sweet maker Haribo has also announced it will replace the artificial ingredients in its products with natural alternatives by the end of the year while leading supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Marks & Spencer and the Co-op have pledged to removed artificial dyes from their own-brand products.

It is clear, however, that voluntary measures will not be enough to remove the additives from the diet of children, because many companies have no intention of taking them out.

Matlow, the company behind the Swizzels brand of popular sweets including Love Hearts, Refreshers and Drumstick lollies, does not plan any voluntary changes.

Company director Andrew Matlow said: "This is just one study looking into this.

"All the information we have at present is that these food additives are safe and fall within UK legislation.

"Everything we put into our confectionery is legal and goes in in legal amounts.

"If the Government changes its policy on what is allowed then, of course, we would follow that."