A Colorful Deception in Our Daily Diet
The Safety of Synthetic Food Dyes
Food dyes are used for one simple reason: They make food look better. The colors don’t make foods shelf-stable, more nutritious, or taste better. They are purely cosmetic.
It all started in 1856. That’s the year William Henry Perkin discovered mauve, the first synthetic organic dye derived from coal tar, a byproduct of coal processing. This discovery led to the use of similar dyes in foods, drugs, and cosmetics.
By 1900, a wide range of artificially colored products were available in the U.S. However, some dyes used to enhance or disguise food products contained harmful substances like lead, arsenic, and mercury. Recognizing the risks, the U.S. Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, banning harmful dyes in foods and prohibiting the use of coloring to mask inferior goods.
The USDA established the initial list of seven safe colors in 1907, laying the foundation for the regulation of color additives in food. This list was based on a study of 80 dyes then in use in food. These were the first “approved” color additives; four of the seven dyes are still permitted today.
One of the original seven safe colors was Red Dye No. 2, also known as amaranth. It became one of the most commonly used food colorings in the United States. It was found in everything from hot dogs to candies, soft drinks, and cosmetics. It was even used to make dog food red, which is especially crazy since dogs can’t even see the color red. Companies did it to make the food look better for the owners.
Concerns began in 1971 when Russian scientists reported that Red Dye No. 2 caused cancer in rats when administered in large quantities. Although the initial studies had significant limitations, including high doses that weren’t even close to what the average person might eat, the findings triggered a wave of anxiety among the American public.
The response in the United States was swift. Consumer advocacy groups, most notably the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), seized on the study to press the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a ban on Red Dye No. 2. Media coverage amplified fears, and the public began to demand change.
In response to mounting pressure, the FDA initiated a series of investigations and commissioned further studies to assess the dye’s safety. In 1976, the FDA concluded that, in high doses, Red No. 2 could cause cancer in female rats, so it was banned in the United States.
I would love to say that the ban on Red Dye No. 2 marked a significant turning point in food safety regulations, but it didn’t.
A 2016 study found that over 40 percent of food products marketed toward children in one major supermarket in North Carolina contained artificial food coloring. The problem is that the current limits set by the FDA are outdated. The acceptable amounts are based on much older studies that don’t look for the behavioral changes currently being observed.
What will these food colorings do? Here’s a list of the concerns research studies have found.
Caramel Colour - May harm the immune system and is a potential cancer risk.
FD&C Blue No. 2 Indigotine [E132] - Linked to hyperactivity, food allergies, chromosomal damage, brain and bladder cancers.
FD&C Green No. 3 Fast Green FCF - Linked DNA damage, testicular and bladder cancers. The European Union has banned it over safety concerns.
FD&C Red No. 3 Erythrosine [E127] - Linked to hyperactivity in children. Linked to DNA damage, thyroid cancer and chromosomal damage.
FD&C Red No. 40 Allura Red AC [129] - Linked to hyperactivity, allergies and asthma. It potentially causes DNA damage and is linked with lymphomas (cancers).
FD&C Yellow No. 5 Tartrazine [E102] - It’s genotoxic and can damage DNA, causing cancer. Depletes zinc in children. It is linked to allergies, asthma and aggression.
C Yellow No. 6 Sunset Yellow [E110] - Linked to food allergies, eczema and hyperactivity in children. Depletes zinc in children. It may be responsible for kidney and thyroid tumors.
Titanium Dioxide [E171] - The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified it as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” The European Union has banned it over safety concerns.
We have evidence from dozens of studies over several decades that artificial dyes can be dangerous. They’re especially problematic for children, who may be getting the largest dosages. It’s time to stop adding them to our foods, especially since non-toxic natural alternatives are available. Here are three things you can do.
Read the Label: If your food contains artificial colorings, look for an alternative, especially if it’s one of the dyes listed above. If possible, opt for products colored with natural sources like beet extract, annatto, and turmeric, which provide vibrant colors without the associated risks.
Spread Awareness: Share this information with your family and friends. It’s about making better choices, not just for ourselves but also for our families.
Contact Manufacturers: I’ve started contacting companies asking about their use of food dyes and expressing a preference for natural alternatives. Consumer pressure can drive change towards healthier options.
Reference Links:
Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence
Mark D. Miller, Craig Steinmaus, Mari S. Golub, Rosemary Castorina, Ruwan Thilakartne, Asa Bradman, Melanie A. Marty
Environmental Health, Published online 2022 Apr 29. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00849-9
Tartrazine induces structural and functional aberrations and genotoxic effects in vivo
Latifa Khayyat, Amina Essawy, Jehan Sorour, Ahmed Soffar
PeerJ, Published online 2017 Feb 23. doi: 10.7717/peerj.3041
Prevalence of Artificial Food Colors in Grocery Store Products Marketed to Children
Ameena Batada, DrPH, and Michael F. Jacobson, PhD
Clinical Pediatrics, Published online June 6, 2016
Immune reactivity to food coloring
Aristo Vojdani, Charlene Vojdani
Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Published 2015:21 Suppl 1:52-62. PMID: 25599186
Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment
Tyler J. S. Smith, Julia A. Wolfson, Ding Jiao, Michael J. Crupain, Urvashi Rangan, Amir Sapkota, Sara N. Bleich, Keeve E. Nachman
PLOS ONE, Published February 18, 2015 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118138
Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for
L. Eugene Arnold, Nicholas Lofthouse, Elizabeth Hurt
Neurotherapeutics, Published online 2012 Aug 3. doi: 10.1007/s13311-012-0133-x
Toxicology of food dyes
Sarah Kobylewski 1, Michael F Jacobson
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Published 2012 Jul-Sep;18(3):220-46. doi: 10.1179/1077352512Z.00000000034.
The Influence of the Chemical Additive Tartrazine on the Zinc Status of Hyperactive Children—a Double-blind Placebo-controlled Study
Neil I. Ward, Kevin A. Soulsbury, Victor H. Zettel, Irene D. Colquhoun, Sally Bunday & Belinda Barnes
Journal of Nutritional Medicine, Published online: 13 Jul 2009
Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Donna McCann PhD, Angelina Barrett BSc, Alison Cooper MSc, Debbie Crumpler BSc, Lindy Dalen PhD, Kate Grimshaw MSc, Elizabeth Kitchin BSc, Kris Lok MSc, Lucy Porteous BSc, Emily Prince MSc, Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke PhD, Prof John O Warner MD, Prof Jim Stevenson PhD
The Lancet, Published 3–9 November 2007, Pages 1560-1567
Do artificial food colors promote hyperactivity in children with hyperactive syndromes? A meta-analysis of double-blind placebo-controlled trials
David W Schab, Nhi-Ha T Trinh
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Published 2004 Dec;25(6):423-34. doi: 10.1097/00004703-200412000-00007.
Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study
K S Rowe, K J Rowe
The Journal of Pediatrics, Published 1994 Nov;125(5 Pt 1):691-8. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(94)70059-1.
Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder in children
M Boris, F S Mandel
Annals of Allergy, Published 1994 May;72(5):462-8.
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1/13/2024
