So when did the rot set in?

How has our childrens’ diet got quite so bad?

“Before the 1970s, children ate what their parents ate,” says Suzannah Olivier, nutrition expert and author. “But then manufacturers came up with the concept of ‘childrens’ food’ like chicken nuggets. “These foods are very cheaply produced. Consequently they’re mostly salt, sugar, fat and additives, which disguise the fact that there are no proper ingredients.”

It’s those substances that manufacturers add – weird and wonderful preparations like locust bean gum, caustic sulphite caramel or benzoic acid – which could be part of the problem.

Although all food additives used in the UK must be approved, some are banned in other countries. Many have been linked to conditions such as asthma, rashes and hyperactivity.

The Co-op supermarket chain recently banned 12 commonly used colourings from all its own-brand food. One study of 277 three-year olds by the Asthma and Allergy Research Centre found that drinking juice with artificial additives had a ‘substantial effect’ on the toddlers’ sleep, ability to concentrate and general mood.

But it’s not just additives that might affect the way our children behave. What’s missing from their diets is also a factor. “Iron deficiency anaemia can make people feel tired, irritable and less able to concentrate,” says Dr Joanne Lunn of the British Nutrition Foundation. “In children, it can affect behaviour and development.”