A note on the nasties

Excessive sugar often gets blamed for unruly behaviour in children, but studies show that synthetic colourants are in fact mostly at fault. These chemicals can cause some children to become prickly, aggressive or hyperactive. Most of us know to avoid sweets and cooldrinks that contain them, but they also lurk in some unexpected places, like yoghurt and flavoured milk, or even in dry fruits and custards. If you are packing some sweeties, rather choose ones that don’t contain colourants, such as chocolate, Smarties and toffees. Read labels, and avoid any products that contain the following: E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129.