17 FEBRUARY 1967, Page 13

S 411' topping the Rot SIR,—Mr Samson, in his unpleasantly de haul

en bas reply to Mrs Dougal (February 10), ignores at least one step the authorities might take to reduce the de- leterious effect of sweets on children's teeth—pro- hibit the use of all those destructive chemical colourings and flavourings. If raspberry (sic!) and orange (sic!) lollies, all-day-suckers, ice-creams, chocolate creams, gums, soft drinks and all the rest had to be flavoured and coloured with real raspberry and orange, they would not only be less harmful but would probably be—most beneficially—priced out of the pocket-money market.

DORIS DAVY

Ridge House, Kingston, Lewes, Sussex