CERTAIN FOOD products containing colouring can cause allergic reactions to consumers, especially infants, a study by the Green Party has revealed.
Speaking to state radio, Green Party spokeswoman Ioanna Panagiotou said that seven products tested so far on the market were not safe could have particular health risks to some consumers.
Panagiotou also said that although some colouring substances were allowed under EU and Cypriot legislation, not enough is being done to raise the awareness of what side-effects these substances could have on people with health problems.
“What isn’t mentioned about some of these substances in the State Laboratory leaflet, is that they can cause some problems to people’s health”, said Panagiotou. “For example, the leaflet gives the green light for the use of the colouring substance E132. But it doesn’t mention that this substance can cause skin complications to certain people with allergies.”
She also describes the leaflet as “not practical” because it had so many pages and said hardly anyone would shop with this booklet, checking all the ingredients on the products they buy.
The Green Party official added: “We have conducted a small study, which has yielded some alarming results, for example the presence of this particular compound in many sweets which are eaten by children. That is why we, the Green Party, are calling for better awareness of the problem for consumers.”
Weighing in with a solution for raising awareness was former Health Minister Dina Akkelidou, who has called for a special television programme to warn consumers about the dangers.
“It must be noted that the leaflets issued by the State Laboratory have become very active recently and usually reach people’s homes at least through the Consumer Association. But it must also be noted that the leaflets do have far too many pages and are not very practical for our everyday life,” Akkelidou concurred.
The former Health Minister added: “I believe that a television programme should be launched on CyBC, which is the state run television station, so that continuous awareness can be raised among consumers. It is vital to know which substances, whether they be colouring substances or others, should be avoided, especially by high risk groups like children or people with health complications.”
