Food Dye: Sure It makes Food Look Good, But Are They Safe?

Earlier this week, Heather informed me that there had been a request for a blog addressing a topic on food dyes so I was up for the challenge. :) We always here stories about food dyes causing cancer and other medical problems. Is it true and if so, how bad are they for us?

Humans have been using food dyes longer than you might think. Archaeologists have found ancient Egyptians writings that tell of drug colorings.  In fact, historians say food colorings have been around since 1500 B.C.

The reason why food coloring was used originally was to hide poor quality food products or spoiled food products.  In the 1800's toxic chemicals, arsenic and metal compounds were used to make the color dyes that was used in hard candies and pickles.  Because of numerous deaths and illnesses that were linked to the dyes, congress created the Pure Food and Drug ACT which gave birth to the FDA- Food and Drug Administration.  Today, we find food coloring in quite a few products as you may know, some examples are jellies, candies, mustard, ketchup, cakes and many others.  In fact the FDA has only approved 7 dyes- yellows #5 and #6, reds #3 and #40, blues #1 and #2, and green #3.

The Different Colored Dyes

Dye #	Dye Name	Color	Where it is Found	Side Effects
Yellow #5	Tartrazine	Lemon Yellow	candy, beverages, cereals, ice cream	This dye is known to cause allergic reactions in some people. It causes hives in fewer than one out of 10,000 people Allergies Thyroid tumors Lymphocytic lymphomas Chromosomal Damage Trigger for asthma Urticaria (hives) Hyperactivity
Yellow #6	Sunset Yellow	Orange	snack foods, desserts, powders, cereals	Urticaria (hives) Rhinitis (runny nose) Nasal congestion Bronchoconstriction (combined with Amaranth, Ponceau) Anaphylactoid reaction (combined with Ponceau) Eosinophilotactic response Purpura (bruising) Allergies Kidney tumors Chromosomal damage Abdominal pain Vomiting Indigestion Distaste for food
Red #3	Erythrosine	Cherry-red	Cherries in fruit cocktail and canned fruits	The lake form of this dye has been known to cause tumors in rats. The risk of cancer in humans is about 1 in 100,000 over a 70 year lifetime. Bronchoconstriction (combined with Brilliant Blue, Indigo Carmine) Sequential vascular response Elevation of protein-bound iodide Thyroid tumors Chromosomal damage
Red #40	Allura Red AC	Orange -red	Gelatins, puddings, condiments, dairy products	Tumors / lymphomas
Blue #1	Brilliant Blue FCF	Bright blue	jellies, icings, beverages, dairy products syrups	Bronchoconstriction (combined with Erythrosine, Indigo Carmine) Eosinophilotactic response Chromosomal damage
Blue #2	Indigotine	Royal Blue	ice cream, cherries, cereals, baked goods	Brain tumors Bronchoconstriction (combined with Brilliant Blue, Erythrosine)
Green #3	Fast Green FCF	Sea Green	ice cream, sherbet, beverages, puddings	Bladder tumors

   So to answer the question if food dyes are safe, well the FDA seems to say certain kinds are but I have to admit that since certain dyes are causing problems whose to say that others won't follow.  I think next time my kids want red frosting on their cake or eat those cool blue cookies, I think I'll leave it just as nature intended food to come out as, in their own natural color.

Challenge:  I challenge you to find 3 items in your cupboards in less than 20 seconds that don't have artificial colors and. or flavors. Good luck!  If you do please let me know what they were...

Till next time...

Jenny Lee

Proud Mom and Inventor of the DOSE KEEPER

Comments

[AllyZabba]

I took the challenge and this is what I found:

1 - Clif kid organic Z bar
2 - Trader Joe's Apricot handmade dried fruit bar
3 - Trader Joe's organic animal crackers

When I was a kid I couldn't eat those flavored frozen icee popsicles because they always gave me hives. Now I understand why.

Thanks for a great article.

[Jenny]

My pleasure! ;)

[Heather Ledeboer]

I hate that it was so hard to find things to list!

I found:
-Ocean Spray Craisins
-Kirkland Organic Instant Oatmeal (my kids LOVE this stuff)
-Good Sense Honey Roasted Sunflower Nuts

Thanks for the great info!

[Jane Hersey]

You have good information here! But to clarify some things... while it's true that dyes have been used for centuries, it is only in the past 100+ years that artificial dyes have been used. And it is only in the past 50+ years that they have been used in such large amounts. In the 1800s a chemist learned how to make dye from coal tar oil, and today the artificial colors you list above are made from petroleum. Most of the coloring in our food originates in petroleum refineries in China.
Also, the majority of dyes which were in use 100 years ago have either been dropped by the manufacturers or have been banned by the US government. Those few that remain are not any safer; they just have not yet been banned. (But since Red 3 is known to cause cancer in animals, it is illegal; but still in our food.)
A recent British study showed that a mix of dyes and one preservative brought on ADHD symptoms in children -- both those who had been diagnosed and those who had not. The doses used (25mg and 62.5mg) are only a fraction of what a child in England or the US is likely to ingest in a day.
In addition to triggering behavior and learning problems, the dyes have been shown to cause many health problems including DNA damage, reproductive damage, nerve damage, asthma, immune system damage, as well as the hives mentioned above. See www.diet-studies.com for details.
I question the accuracy of the FDA claims that Yellow 5 affects only one person out of 10,000. I have heard from many people who are affected...far more than their estimate indicates.
The good news is that there are countless delicious foods that are free of these harmful chemicals, so why should anyone have to eat them. The non-profit Feingold Association of the US has been helping families find petroleum-free food since 1976. (www.ADHDdiet.org) They publish books listing thousands of foods of all kinds that are naturally colored and naturally flavored....even things like mac & cheese mix and natural Cheetos. Nobody needs to eat this junk!

[Dee Dee]

Okay, so there are NO foods kept in my pantry with dyes! On rare occasion I let my kids have m&ms but I don't keep them in the kitchen. The challenge is to go shopping and find things without dyes! Instant pudding have dyes, but the cook and serve ones (at least chocolate) don't.
I am convinced that many behavior problems in children are related to the many toxins in our diets, food dyes being one contributor. We also avoid MSG, and high fructose corn syrup. I am new to this blog, but those would be good topics to research/address in a blog. It really cuts the junk food to a minimum when you don't allow those in the house! It also gets the creative juices flowing and forces you to cook more from 'scratch' - which is becoming a lost art!