Battenberg cake may have won a reprieve, after the Food Standards Agency (FSA) lost its fight to ban six demonised food colourings, but bakers will now have to label products that contain them.

An EU-wide health warning means that Tartrazine (E102), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Sunset Yellow (E110), Carmoisine (E122), Ponceau 4R (E124) and Allura Red (E129) must be flagged up on-pack, as they are thought to cause hyperactivity in some children. But NAMB chief executive Gill Brooks-Lonican slammed the move, saying: "There’s usually such a minute amount of these colourings involved, but what mother will now buy a cupcake with yellow icing? It could have an adverse effect on sales."