The public tends to think that there are big benefits from eating "healthy" foods. Largely this is illusion. Few British people have severe dietary deficiencies. Whilst there might a few toxic effects from some additives, as the study suggests, we are talking about very minor effects from low doses, not a deadly poison which is causing millions of children to lose control of their emotional responses.

In this case, the results were only barely significant. When there is such obvious potential for a placebo / experimenter effects, how rigorously were the trials controlled?

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

Whether fizzy drink A or B is better for my child, who may be 3-5 and 7-9 years is irrelevant. Further, it's ludicrous to think that I can somehow benefit from any such results, regardless of statistical relevance. Is this going to somehow make the food and drink from the big food and drink --as well as fast-gunk food manufacturers-- more palatable, more wholesome? What should be spelt out to people is that anything that has been processed, or modified--the "frankenstein foods"-- is bad for children, as well as adults. Didn't G Ramsey leave any legacy in this respect in his ongoing mission to revolutionize the thinking of the British public--or--why do will still not get it?
Brown bread, fruit juice, no burgers, and no nuggets. Why is this so difficult?

Tom Hamilton, Tokyo, Japan

Plainly the research is flawed. What assurances can we have that there was no synergistic effects between the additives when administered in the way described. The fact that the results were on the border of statistical significance raises doubts about the headlines appearing in the media. Was there clinically significant differences in behaviour?

I am not an advocate for the food industry, simply one for good science.

Bill Quirke, Derby,

So at last there is a clear statement that processed food with its chemical additives is related to childrens poor behaviour!Thirty years ago my sons poor behaviour was resolved by removing all chemicals and food colours from his diet. From being a poor achiever he went on to achieve scholarships at school and a university degree.
As a former teacher through out thirty years of working in the classroom I helped parents to correct their childrens poor behaviour and performance by improving their diet to one that avoided processed foods. Other colleagues did likewise.
What is new? We have known this fact for years and many generations of children have suffered as a result. The food industry should be held to task for their irrespnsibility!

Nicki Penaluna, Chalais, Charente

This is nothing new, so why all the press coverage now? I was taught in he 1980s that foodl additives were dangerous - specifically the yellowy/orange colouring (at the time) used in drinks like Lilt and 7up. So I have avoided them ever since. I found that drinking Lilt made me feel hyper, soon as I stopped, I was fine.

Wonderkid, London,

Many parents have known this for years, and are to be seen in shops studying labels of potential purchases.
As a consumer I buy the products that are free from artificial colours and additives.
Two of my children have had to avoid any sweets with artificial colourants for many years, but it is difficult to avoid sodium benzoate.
Pushing the onus back on to parents is unjust. Many parents have been behaving responsibly for years on this issue.
The Food Standards Agency should now take definitive action and demand all manufacturers remove artificial colours from their products; and further research should be undertaken into soduim benzoate.
The anti-social behaviour of young children and teenagers is often criticised in the media, so if even a small percentage of that could be caused by additives, action should be taken.

carol bevitt, nottingham, uk

The above E numbers were well known to mothers in the early 1980's. We took our son off these additives and his hiperactivity almost disappeared. The medical profession thought we were being over concerned parents - but they weren't living with him.

We went on to learn that cucumber, green apples/apple juice and carrots also affected his behaviour, we withdrew these and then gradually re-introduced them.

Has it really taken over 20 years to re-discover this? Why is there still doubt about the effects on children of these E numbers?

S-J Hall, Liss, England