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Food Standards Agency
Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NH

Tel: 020 7276 8522

cot@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

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Food Intolerance Working Group

In 1997, the COT established the Food Intolerance Working Group to critically assess and review the data on food intolerance and also the evidence that food can cause hyperactivity in children and associated behaviour in adulthood.

The membership of the Working Group comprised individuals with a wide range of expertise appropriate to the topic. The Working Group has sought the submission of information from interested parties and is expected to report its conclusions shortly.

Terms of Reference

1. To critically assess and review the data on food intolerance* and also the evidence that food* can cause hyperactivity in children and associated behaviour in adulthood. As part of the assessment, the Group should:

• consider whether the prevalence of each effect is increasing
• rank those foods identified as commonly causing adverse reaction, both in terms of prevalence and severity of reaction
• assess the mechanism underlying each effect
• in each case, identify those individuals at risk

2. To report to the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on the points above and to make recommendations for research.

*Food intolerance - any adverse reaction to food, including those with an immunological basis (allergy) but excluding psychological food aversion.

**Food - the term food is used throughout to include foods themselves such as milk and eggs as well as food additives and other food ingredients. With regard to ranking, it may be useful to rank foods and food additives separately.

Membership

Professor Peter Aggett (Chairman)
Institute of Food Research
Norwich

Professor Tony Dayan
Department of Toxicology
Queen Mary and Westfield College University of London

Dr Tara Dean
St Mary's Hospital Trust
Isle of Wight

Professor Jean Golding
University of Bristol

Dr Ian Kimber
Zeneca CTL

Professor Stephan Strobel
Institute of Child Health, London

Professor Eric Taylor
Institute of Psychiatry
Denmark Hill, London

Dr Elspeth Young
Amersham Hospital, Bucks

• Adverse reactions to food and food ingredients (2000)