Consumption patterns of artificially coloured foods among children in Kuwait

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess the consumption patterns of artificially coloured foods among children in Kuwait. A 24-h dietary recall field survey was conducted on 3,141 male and female children from 58 schools in Kuwait to determine colour additive levels in food products marketed in Kuwait, and to assess and compare intake levels to FAO/WHO acceptable daily intakes. Design/methodology/approach - Of 450 coloured foods available in the market, 344 that were commonly consumed by children were purchased from different co-operative societies and supermarkets distributed in Kuwait and were grouped into nine categories, namely: biscuits, cake, candy, chips, chocolate, drinks and juices, chewing gum, jelly, and lollypops. These were then analysed for their contents of artificial colour additives using a high-pressure liquid chromatography with diode array detector. Findings - Data obtained from the field survey showed that ''drinks and juices'' contributed the most to the mean daily intake, followed by ''cakes and ice cream''. Originality/value - The similarity in the high daily intake of drinks among children in Kuwait and other countries indicates a need to improve the diets of Kuwaiti children.