In a six-week study funded by the the Food Standards Agency (FSA), researchers at Southampton University gave 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight- to nine-year-olds drinks containing a combination of additives that reflected the average daily additive intake of a British child. The substances they tested are commonly found in soft drinks, confectionery and ice cream (see box).
For the first time the trial showed adverse effects in children in the general population, not just those diagnosed with ADHD, as in previous studies.
This finding supports claims first made by scientist Ben Feingold following a study more than 30 years ago.
Children were given two different mixes of varying quantities with different additives. For three-year-olds they were roughly the same size as two 56g bags of sweets.
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