ASDA to cut food additives as health worries grow

LONDON (Reuters) - ASDA said on Tuesday it was removing all artificial colours and flavours from its own-label food amid growing concern about their impact on children's behaviour.

"We know that our customers, particularly those that are mums and dads, are becoming more and more concerned about what's in the food that they buy," ASDA's food trading director Darren Blackhurst said in a statement.

ASDA is a unit of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research).

The chain said that by the end of this year its own-label food and drinks would not contain any artificial colours or flavours, aspartame, hydrogenated fat or flavour enhancers.

There were widespread media reports earlier this month about a study commissioned by the Food Standards Agency which is believed to have linked certain artificial food colours and a preservative to hyperactivity in children.

The FSA will not release details of the study's findings until it has been peer reviewed.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects about five percent of the population. There has been a long-standing suggestion that artificial food colourings and perservatives are linked to ADHD, the FSA said.

Britain's largest supermarket chain Tesco (TSCO.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said it had already removed artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners from its range of kids' foods.

"It has always been our policy to keep the use of additives to a minimum and we have had a 'hit list' for over 20 years to help us do this," a spokeswoman said.