Confectionery giants cut the chemicals

In the wake of a damning scientific report on the health effects of artificial additives, Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Mars UK said they will not use chemicals in their products.

Both confectionery companies claim to be replacing artificial additives in
their products as part of programmes that started last
year. They were responding to a University of Southampton
study released last week that linked artificial food colourings and
additives with heightened hyperactivity in children, at least up to the age of
nine.

While industry organisations have said more work is needed to determine the
full health effects of each additive, individual companies have been
taking the initiative in cutting them out of their products.

Mars clams its Starburst, Skittles and M&M's will be free from artificial
colours by the end of this year, while Cadbury has said it will have replaced
all artificial colours in all confectionary products by 2008.