Cadbury and Mars have attracted severe criticism from food watchdog groups who say the confectioners have not fulfilled promises to remove certain artificial food colors from their products.
Last year, the companies both pledged to reformulate products containing the so-called “Southampton Six” colors, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children. Mars set the deadline of the end of 2007 and Cadbury said it would take out the colors by end of last 2008.
However the Food Commission’s Action on Additives campaign has identified some products that still contain the additives, including popular Easter products like Cadbury’s Creme Egg and Mini Eggs.
The artificial colors implicated in a Southampton study are Tartrazine (E102), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Sunset Yellow (E110), Carmoisine (E122), Ponceau 4R (E124) and Allura Red (E129).