The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is examining new research that links food coloring and hyperactivity in children. The EFSA plans to review 45 colorings currently used in Europe by the end of 2008, and will rule on the coloring Allura Red later in the year. These reviews are based on the assessment of published literature rather than direct research by the EFSA. The European Commission, which intends to outline a food labeling policy by the end of the year, is hoping for faster decisions that it could include in its outline. In July, the EFSA announced that Red 2G, a coloring used in processed meats, was a “safety concern” because it had been linked to cancer in animals.

Source: Financial Times