On November 12, 2009, the European Union Food Safety Agency issued a notice stating that the food additives and nutrition source scientific expert group has reduced the synthetic food coloring quinoline yellow (E104) and sunset yellow FCF after reviewing all existing evidence. (E110) and Ponceau 4R (E124) allowable daily intake (ADIs) per person. The expert team concluded that the current exposure of these pigments has exceeded the new ADIs for adults and children.

        Based on the available data, the expert team believes that there is no need to change the ADIs values of the other three pigments evaluated for lemon yellow (E102), azorubine (E122) and allure red (E129). At present, only some children eat a lot of food or beverages containing azorubine (E122) and allure red (E129), their pigment intake will exceed the ADIs value.

        It is reported that the EU Food Safety Agency is currently evaluating the safety of all food additives approved by the European Commission starting with food coloring. After the University of Southampton published a study on the link between pigment mixtures and the preservative sodium benzoate and childhood ADHD in 2007, the European Commission asked the European Food Safety Agency to give priority to the evaluation of the above 6 pigments.

        The head of the expert group, John Larson, said: “Many food colorings have been approved for use for decades. After long-term use, we now fully consider all available data, including new information related to their safety. Evidence to protect the health of European consumers. We have done systematic work on all food additives, and have begun to conduct research on some food colorings that consumers are more concerned about."

        The six colorants re-evaluated by the expert group can be used in many food materials, including soft drinks, bakery products and desserts. In general, the existing evidence cannot confirm that there must be a causal connection between a single pigment and possible behavioral responses. The expert group concluded that lemon yellow may cause some excessive reactions, such as skin allergies in a small number of people. For the remaining 5 pigments (quinoline yellow, sunset yellow, ponceau red, azorubine and allure red), based on the limited scientific evidence available, it is currently impossible to determine allergic reactions (such as skin and nose) There is a causal link between it.

        John Larson said: “We have now reduced the permissible daily intake per person for 3 of the 6 food colorings evaluated. However, due to the uniqueness and complexity of different cases for different reasons, There are data, including the Southampton study itself, which cannot confirm a causal link between a single food coloring and the possible behavioral effects."

        The scientific advice of the European Food Safety Agency helps the European Commission and EU member states to take some follow-up measures.