Smarties: suicide pills?Only Smarties have the answer...to why you suffer serious nerve damage, poor mental health, hyperactivity, skin rashes and cancer that is. No, it's nothing about the shocking radical overhaul from the beautiful classic 68-year-old Smarties tube to the new Hexatube, which in itself defeats object two of Smarties; collecting the caps. Rather the nutritional - for want of a better word - content of the sweet pills themselves.

Following claims from health campaigners that the crazy coloured additives in Smarties do all sorts of harm to children, Nestle are preparing to make them without the artificial colourings, to improve their "nutritional quality". The Poorhouse is not sure if that is a legitimate term to apply to pellets of chocolate and sugar, but assumes taking some of the poison out is nonetheless a good step.

The colour-chemicals involved include Brilliant Blue (E133), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Sunset Yellow (E110), Ponceau 4R (E124), and Carmoisine (E122). This follows recent research by Liverpudlian scientists finding that the toxic effects of chemicals such as these is much greater when more than one is consumed at a time. The research was published as an article "Synergistic interactions between commonly used food additives in a developmental neurotoxicity test" in the journal Toxicological Sciences. Doing similar tests to those performed to gauge the effects of pesticides, they saw these chemicals producing toxic effects on nerve cells. Their concern was that, whilst these chemicals are certified safe at standard levels (in at least most of the EU at least), when say Brilliant Blue and Monosodium glutamate are combined, the toxic effects are seven times stronger than the individual health hazards of both.

Individually these chemicals are already known to be neurotoxins at certain levels, leading to the already-existing ban on Quinoline Yellow in Australia, Norway and the US.

The most extreme Smartie of them all, the blue one, is particularly offensive. Its colouring via E133 (derived from coal tar) is on the US Environmental Protection Agency's cancer-risk list.

Monotone SmartiesDevastatingly, if not surprisingly, Nestle et co. have been unable to find a "natural" blue dye, meaning that, unless a miraculous scientific discovery is made very soon, there soon will be no more blue Smarties. Whilst R&D continues on this critical matter, you the consumer will be given the opportunity to sample its replacement: the white smartie.

Non-fascinating fact: This is actually not the first time white Smarties have been released into the wild. Black and white Smarties have previously been provided as a limited edition "Win a Sony PSP" promotion - if you find a colourful Smartie you win the toy. If you actually found that piece of information interesting, the Poorhouse suggests you go visit the Smarties Tube Gallery.