Additives in child medicines opposed by food group
James Knopf/Dreamstime.com
Pressure group wants sweeteners replaced by sugar |
Medicines manufacturers have been criticised by food campaigners for including additives in medicines for young children that are banned from foods aimed at the same age group.
The Food Commission — an independently funded pressure group — surveyed
41 medicines intended for children under three years old and found only
one that did not contain additives that are prohibited from inclusion
in food intended for the same age group.
The organisation said: “It is time for the pharmaceutical industry
to clean up its act and stop using questionable additives in their products,
particularly those aimed at growing, developing infants. Legislation
clearly prohibits the use of most additives in foods and drinks for the
under threes. We urge the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency to take steps to ensure that in future all medicines aimed at
babies and young children are free of such
additives.”
The organisation went as far as proposing that sweeteners in medicines
should be replaced by sugar. Sugar was removed from most liquid medicines
intended for children after a long campaign from dental health groups.
Helen Darracott, director of legal and regulatory affairs at the Proprietary
Association of Great Britain, said that every excipient and additive
in a medicine had to be justified to the MHRA, which subjected them to
risk-benefit analysis.
“The risk of taking these very small quantities of substances is
far less than the benefit of taking them,” Mrs Darracott said. “On
balance, patients and the pubic are better served by their inclusion.”
She added that natural flavourings could not be used because they were
not stable enough to give the shelf-life that medicines need.
Colours and flavourings were needed because medicines would by unattractive
and unpalatable without them and compliance would be reduced.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
Acrobat
Reader