Artificial food dye, synthetic food dye, food coloring, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Blue No. 1, or Tartrazine (a.k.a. Yellow No. 5)… whatever name it’s listed under, it is all pretty much the same stuff. And as I’ve said on this site before I have no problem occasionally digging into yummy homemade baked goods made with plenty of chocolate, sugar, or whatever else we’re craving, but what I NEVER want to “treat” myself (or my children) to is a dose of chemicals derived from petroleum.
Yep, no typos there…that’s what artificial food dye is made from (it used to be derived from coal tar - so we haven't improved much!) and unfortunately the 15 million pounds of food dye used in the U.S. per year (5 times more than in 1955) is in much more than just colorful icing these days. Dyes, made from the same petroleum that fuels our vehicles, is turning up in an insane amount of packaged foods including Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Minute Maid Lemonade, Lunchables, Fruit Roll Ups, Cheetos, and even “Light and Fit” Yoplait Yogurt.
And the crazy thing is these food manufacturers tell us right there on the ingredient label that artificial food colorings (and sometimes “artificial flavoring”) have been added…but most consumers don’t seem to be fazed by it.
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Upon discovering what this (seemingly harmless and common) additive is made from I had to tell my daughters. I explained how it’s in thousands of products including birthday party cupcakes, salad dressing, cough syrup, and even daddy’s mouthwash. Rightfully so my 1st grader looked at me a little shocked and went on to say, “Can we write a letter to the president?”
Now I love how that girl thinks, but at the same time it broke my heart that my innocent child thought that’s all it would take. If we just told the president that food manufacturers were feeding us petroleum based chemicals disguised as brightly colored food dyes he surely wouldn’t allow it anymore. And while I am not very good at politics myself what I’d like to be good at is educating and influencing all of you to vote with your dollars. I truly believe that if consumers stop purchasing artificially dyed and flavored foods we can make an impact.
If enough of us speak up the big food companies will listen to consumer demand. And I know this for a fact because that’s exactly what’s happened in other countries outside of the U.S (check out #3 below).…we are apparently just behind the curve on this one.
7 Reasons I Hate Artificial Food Dyes
1. They are made in a lab with chemicals derived from petroleum, a crude oil product, which also happens to be used in gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and tar.
NPR.org: “Artificial food dyes are made from petroleum and approved for use by the FDA to enhance the color of processed foods.”
2. They’ve been linked to long-term health problems such as cancer. If you’re a child of the ‘80s (like me) do you remember that rumor about red M&Ms causing cancer? Maybe it wasn’t just a rumor after all.
CSPInet.org: “The three most widely used dyes, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are contaminated with known carcinogens, says CSPI. Another dye, Red 3, has been acknowledged for years by the Food and Drug Administration to be a carcinogen, yet is still in the food supply.” FYI – According to Wikipedia, “A carcinogen is any substance … that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer.” !!!
CBSnews.com: “There's no good reason not to ban Red 3, something then-acting FDA commissioner Mark Novitch tried to do in 1984, saying the dye ‘has clearly been shown to induce cancer’ and was ‘of greatest public health concern.’ … Other dyes, namely Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are known to cause allergic reactions in some people and have shown signs of causing cancer in lab animals. Of course, this isn't the same thing as leading to cancer in humans, but it argues for limiting intake, especially among children, who are getting the biggest dose of food colorings from a gazillion brightly colored, fun-looking foods.”
3. Did you know that food products containing artificial dye are required to have a warning label in the U.K.? The label states that the food "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." So speaking of M&Ms, they aren’t so brightly colored in some countries outside of the U.S. because manufacturers would rather do away with the artificial dye than have to put a warning label on their products.
Mercola.com: “This is why if you eat a Nutri-Grain strawberry cereal bar in the United States, it will contain Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. But that same bar in the UK contains only the natural colorings beetroot red, annatto and paprika extract. In fact, the UK branches of Wal-Mart, Kraft, Coca-Cola and Mars have removed artificial colors, sodium benzoate and aspartame from their product lines as a result of consumer demand and government recommendations. In the United States, however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to allow these toxic ingredients in countless popular foods, including those marketed directly to children.”
CBSnews.com: Many Grocery Manufacturers Association members (like Pepsi, Kraft and General Mills) “have switched to natural colorings in their products in the U.K., where warning labels are required, but they're not doing that here for the most part. That's because no one's making them do it, and switching would cost a lot of money.”
4. Synthetic food dyes have been shown to cause an increase in hyperactivity in children as well as a negative impact on their ability to learn.
Washingtonpost.com:"Artificial food dyes (in combination with a common preservative) could make even children with no known behavioral problems hyperactive and inattentive."
CSPInet.org: "The science shows that kids' behavior improves when these artificial colorings are removed from their diets and worsens when they’re added to the their diets." and "While not all children seem to be sensitive to these chemicals, it's hard to justify their continued use in foods—especially those foods heavily marketed to young children."
Mercola.com: “According to scientific studies, these dyes are causing behavioral problems and disrupting children's attention.”
5. They add absolutely no value to the foods we are eating, but do in-fact pose quite a few serious risks.
FDA.gov: “Without color additives, colas wouldn't be brown, margarine wouldn't be yellow and mint ice cream wouldn't be green. Color additives are now recognized as an important part of practically all processed foods we eat.”
Huffingtonpost.com: "These dyes have no purpose whatsoever other than to sell junk food."
CSPInet.org: “These synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behavior problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody. The Food and Drug Administration should ban dyes, which would force industry to color foods with real food ingredients, not toxic petrochemicals.”
6. They trick your senses…just like other artificial additives including sweeteners.
In Defense of Food: “One of the problems with the products of food science is that, as Joan Gussow has pointed out, they lie to your body; their artificial colors and flavors and synthetic sweeteners and novel fats confound the senses we rely on to assess new foods and prepare our bodies to deal with them. Foods that lie leave us with little choice but to eat by the numbers, consulting labels rather than our senses.”
7. They are contributing to the obesity epidemic by attracting children (and adults) to highly processed food, which in many cases is being eaten instead of fresh whole foods.
Washingtonpost.com: "Beyond the behavioral problems and cancer risks, the greatest hazard that dyes pose for children may also be the most obvious: They draw kids away from nutritious foods and toward brightly colored processed products that are high in calories but low in nutrients, such as fruit-flavored drinks and snack foods. Those types of foods are a major force in America's obesity epidemic."
Disclosure: My children do occasionally eat foods containing artificial dye because it's provided to them by teachers, other parents, and friends, but it's not something we spend our own money on anymore.
Crystal says
Our family has been avoiding artificial dyes and flavors and a few other things that my youngest has sensitivities to for years now. I make his birthday cakes every year. This year he turned 13. His cake was a triple chocolate all natural made from scratch minecraft cake. It was a huge hit at his lazar tag party. Through the years I have made cakes with toy knights, a guitar hero guitar made with all natural colors, Lego cakes,pink heart cake for valentines day using beet juice and much more. My boys have never been disappointed even when the red on the guitar hero cake was more of a pink because red is very hard maybe impossible to get all naturally.
Karen says
Absolutely "LOVE" ur site. The past few years I've made significant, if not drastic changes to what my family consumes and ur site is a wonderful resource. I can't wait to make some of ut recipes and to be updated on crucial information we all need to know:-)
Tracy says
Thank you for the informative article. I had heard about the dye related to ADHD or hyperactivity. I am working on getting my family to eat more natural and I will definitely be checking the labels for often. Thanks for your great blog and all the information you provide. It is alarming to know that companies put all this harmful in their products to make a buck. And their ads are directed toward our children.
Meghan says
Wow, this does it. No more candy and junk for my family! I can just imagine my kids finding out they have cancer, and I would honestly blame myself for it. It's time for my family to change, was planning on it anyway but now I'm extremely serious.
Shea says
So, kind of a silly question, but I would like your opinion. We eat virtually no processed foods here and I make almost everything from scratch. However, I just threw a party for my son's 5th birthday. Made the cake from scratch, but I just had such a hard time not decorating his cake. I went back and forth in my head whether or not I should keep it plain or decorate it. I broke down and used some dye in his frosting (the cake was a basketball court). How do you do things like decorating cakes and such without using dyes? Do you just make a plain cake? I justified using the dyes because this was a special occasion.
Kadren says
You can find organic dyes that are all natural!
Abby says
If you go to http://www.diefooddye.com, check out my story under "Why Can't the FDA Wake Up and Realize this is a Health Crisis?" The picture with is of a dye free Toy Story Cake I made for my son, that everyone loved. Just have to be creative. (which doesn't come naturally to me, but I do it because my son get SO sick from all petroleum based food additives)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Shea. They do sell dyes made from natural ingredients. I think I've seen them on Amazon. Jill
amy says
I 100% agree! It's tough to find items that don't have dyes in them but so worth the effort!!
Carly says
I am throwing mine away ASAP!! I didn't know any of this stuff, this post was most enlightening! Thanks for sharing the knowledge!
laura says
I am a mom who bakes, so this has been something on my mind for a few months. I just discovered vegetable based food coloring and other baking items from a company called India Tree. I might order it and try it...have you heard of it or used it before? I am big on making sugar cookies, cakes, and cupcakes so I would love to find something that would enable me to do it organically (working on making my baked goods with organic and whole wheat this year).
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Laura. I have seen it but not ordered it. I have had other products though from India Tree and been pleased. Let me know if you like them...I'm curious. Jill
Kelly says
Yes, I used India Tree food coloring. It works great! The colors are not as bright, but it's because they aren't fake :-)
Robin says
Funny how we, the US, are seeing a substantial increase in ADHD and they cant attribute that to all the processed food, dyes, artificial flavors we use. Please US jump on the band wagon like the UK!
Amy says
OMG. Why don't these companies treat the U.S. as good as the U.K.? It really doesn't make any sense to me. Is this saying Americans are just ignorant or plain old stupid to NOT DEMAND THAT OUR PRODUCTS live up the the same standards as the U.K.??
Crystall says
My sons behavior changes when he eats too many colored foods. His teacher sees it and so do I. I have been eliminating many as well as high fructose corn syrup. His go to breakfast that he can't live without is the quaker instant apple cinnamon oats (packages). I would like to make my own so there are not 30 ingredients in his breakfast. Does anyone know how to make a copy cat oatmeal? I have tried in the past and have "failed" his taste test...... I appreciate any ideas or suggestions.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Crystall. Not sure this would be exact, but, here is an oatmeal recipe...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/14/recipe-oatmeal/. I usually add apples towards the end so they don't get too mushy. Jill
Whitney Shea says
I love this web site and think that it is educating so many of us who might not have been aware of many of these issues otherwise. I will also say that Juice Plus (whole food non-synthetic supplement made from just fruit, vegetables, and whole grains) does not contain artificial dyes either. What a great addition to my family's daily intake! ;0)
Shelly says
This is so frustrating that we as humans are knowingly putting these chemicals into our foods! After reading this, I went to take my prenatal vitamin (I am pregnant with #4)and discovered that my vitamins have Red #40 in them! And this is not just me ingesting it, but my unborn baby - something that is supposed to make us both healthy! Thanks for posting this and giving us a heads up.
Krystin says
It's always so reassuring to stumble onto articles like this. A year ago we identified a sensitivity to Red 40 in our 4 year old and most people thought our family was nuts. It has been more than frustrating finding the sheer amount of products that contain this dye. At first it was easily identifiable- candies, popsicles, and certain "fruit" punch beverages...but I was astounded to find it in cherries, ketchups, and even some pizza sauces! Why do we need to color RED foods RED?
What we have more recently found is that being budget conscious has actually helped in our quest for dye free foods. We have always purchased many of our grocery staples at ALDI. When we started reading labels for dye we noticed a particularly high success rate within this store. (We assume it's because they are a European based company?) Sure they still have foods containing dyes, and they also have many processed foods as well...but for those just starting their dye free mission concerned about prices and availability I recommend giving ALDI a try.
Catherine says
Eurpeans banned the use of artifical food dyes and colorings many years ago due to the known health issues caused by the chemicals used in the artificial colorants.....Cancers, behavioral issues, allergic reactions, etc...
US companies stand to lose far to much money by NOT using colorants.. To many consumers are into what is considered to be the "perfect" looking foods.. Manufacturers look at the use of artificial colorants as the cosmetics for food appeal....
Until Americans can accept that REAL food does not always look "perfect."
Stephanie says
I am severely allergic to Red Dye 40, and I would just like to say in response to one of the above comments:
They no longer create a version of Benadryl without Red dye 40. Even in pill form, the capsules are partially dyed. I also am aware that it's ironic that I'm allergic to an allergy reliever.
Rhonda says
Is there anything we can do to send a message to companies asking them to stop? How can we make a difference?
Thanks for you for everything on your blog, its wonderful!! :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Rhonda. Have you checked out Jamie Oliver's website? I've seen some petitions on his site before. I can't get his site to work right now to confirm for you, but, it's worth a look. Jill
Katy says
Wow! I never liked food dye, and as a child would occasionally get headaches after having foods colored with red dye. It amazes me how much garbage the FDA allows to be contained in food, and saddens me that many are raising their children on said garbage. I agree and will be taking a stand by doing my best to purchase foods without artificial colors and flavors. I've always been especially irritated to find all the garbage they put in yogurt...all you need is plain anyways. My family and I thank you for keeping us informed and striving to make the world a healthier place, one bite at a time!
Alicia says
We've avoided artificial colors and flavors for almost ten years in our family for the same reasons you mention. I took them out of our diets when my second child was struggling with mood swings, bed wetting, ADHD symptoms and other issues. I'm not sure they were linked but I see no reason to feed my kids chemical additives made from petroleum that are known to cause problems in children either way.
The toughest part is that our society is so dependent on these brightly colored additives. They're everywhere, and people are always giving my kids "treats" full of them. My oldest kids are 12 and 14 now and they still gravitate towards the neon colored things even though they know that kind of food always makes them feel bad afterwards. I hate that I am the "mean mom" for not buying freezie pops and other crap. I know very few other moms in real life who feel the same, so it can feel isolating.
That said, I believe my kids' health is more important than any of that so I do keep providing real, whole, nourishing food instead of the rainbow colored nastiness. It would just be nice if society, teachers, friends, food companies, restaurants and the rest of the world made it a little easier for us moms.
LenaKari says
Point three isn't entirely accurate. As a native-American parent living in the UK, I can assure you that there are no such health warnings for artificial colouring in things like M&Ms. However, EU legislation dictates that all artificial ingredients are clearly listed along with their purpose in the product. More info: http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/additivesbranch/
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Thanks for clearing that up and providing the link. Jill
Meredith @ Slightly Scattered says
I have been beginning to "wake up" to the realities of processed foods lately, and one of the first things that I noticed was when I was about to make my husband's favorite cake--red velvet. I suddenly thought, "why in the world would I want to dump 1/4c of food coloring into a perfectly good cake batter?" The coloring adds no flavor or nutrition. It's just to change the color. Yuck. I'm going to make a "just velvet" cake for him this week. I know it has tons of refined flour and sugar, but I've got to take one step at a time. Red food color is OUT of my cakes!
Nicole says
OMG if it was not midnight I would be going through all my cabinets tonight and tossing everything! I had no idea! My whole family including my parents have decided to eat better and the more I read the more i get freaked out! We are definitely not big processed food eaters to begin with but now I'm done!
Cara says
I am 41 years old and ever since I was a small girl, I have had bad interactions with food dye (particularly red#40). I was one of those kids you see in public who have nuclear, screaming tantrum meltdowns--I don't break out into hives or have breathing problems or anything smack-you-in-the-face obviously apparent, but behaviorally, they are poison to me. My frustration level drops to zero and I get either very aggressively angry and off-the-charts irritable or will have crying jags that just will not stop--just from ingesting something as seemingly harmless as a glass or 2 of red punch or a slushie. My parents kept me on a strict diet for a time with no artificial colors, flavors & preservatives which helped immensely, but was a little difficult to maintain in the 1970's. Now I don't touch the stuff. As a kid I couldn't verbalize that inside, I felt as if I had no control and as if (all jesting aside) I was possessed. It was horrible. I think most people can probably handle dyes okay with no side effects, but why even bother to risk it? The next time you see a kid acting like a demon child in public, that kid may just be having a bad reaction to dyes or preservatives and the parents just aren't aware of it.
April says
This is what my child is going through. I haven't narrowed it down to the exact Red number, but I know red does it. She has slight reactions to yellow. There is something in pasta that sets off the same reaction. I am still working through the process of figuring it out. But with the few changes I have made, she is a completely different child.
Rande says
Its so sad, reading this. So many Americans aren't even aware. I really feel the government and pharmaceutical companies are working together for their benefit ($$$), not the American people... I too feel your pain on that disclosure note. Thank you for doing all the research to help more people be aware of this food crisis.
Marie says
Am glad I am living in the UK. Didn't realise that we were doing well here! Without artificial colouring etc has become a selling point and they tend to put it in big on the packaging.
Megginw says
Any suggestions for natural food dyes?
100 Days of Real Food says
You can try making your own, or buy these from India Tree (which are expensive!) http://www.amazon.com/India-Tree-Natural-Decorating-Packages/dp/B001EQ5BXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336096328&sr=8-1
Megan says
The brand of kids vitamins, sorry!
Jenni says
I am not sure of the brand she was referring to, but we use Nature's Sunshine for all of our supplements and they have a great kids' line "Sunshine Heros". We just got our daughter the Immune Booster chewable vitamin.
http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/product/sunshine-heroes-multiple-vitamin--mineral-90-soft-chews/sku-3341.aspx
Also, we love Juice Plus+ chewables. Even better than a vitamin- it's 13 servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. http://www.juiceplus.com
Ravensmommy says
my daughter is allergic to artifical dyes (her dad is allergic to artifical grape)----- she takes 2 types of vitamins daily---- Disney Omega-3 has NO articial colors or flavors! and OneSource Gummies multivitamins also contains No AC/F! ---- when i go shopping i look at the ingredients---- anything that says artifical coloring or flavoring gets put back. ---- only found 1 brand of pickles and 1 brand of french fries she can eat---- its hard but SCARY to see EVERYTHING has all this crap in it.---- people give me hassle because im so "over picky" --- but don't you remember when farmers farmed and people ate--- there was none of this artifical junk in our Natural food (why am i the weird one?)
Stephanie says
I don't react to all artificial colors or flavorings (that I know of), but I do react very strongly to Red 40 and MSG (and all of its hundreds of different names they use to sneak it in) and I thought THAT was a hassle. I get poked at for being "too picky" also, but really? When I have Red 40, I get a migraine so fierce prescription painkillers can barely take the edge off. Luckily, my mother reacts (though not as intensely as I do) to the same things, so she helped me develop habits of cooking my own foods and always checking labels before I left home. We always made our own pickles (from homegrown, organic cucumbers) and french fries from fresh potatoes. My biggest problem now is restaurant food, where I can't exactly check the labels on everything they use.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Stephanie. You may want to check out this post about eating out: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/#restaurant.
Megan says
What's the brand you found?
Larisa says
With the dye free liquid, it still has artificial sweetener & artificial flavors which are petroleum based, like the dyes. You can empty out the dye free Benedryl capsules and avoid all the junk. We have our Benedryl & Ibuprofen made special at a compounding pharmacy. They make it without the additives.
Melanee Derenzy says
Dyes are everywhere. Look at any of your kids' liquid medications. Thankfully, Benadryl makes a dye-free liquid. Also, check out vitamins. I found only one brand of childrens vitamins that doesn't have dyes.
Michelle says
There are several brands of vitamins that don't have dye now. Motrin also makes a dye-free ibuprofen, and I think even Food Lion has its own dye-free brand.
misslea says
thanks for this beautiful tips,,,they were really effective....kudos to the publisher
Rebecca says
Katie, since a color is not specifically listed (Red 40, Yellow 5 or 6, Blue 1 or 2, Green 3), then the "color added" is from natural colorants. At least in the US, the petroleum based dyes I mentioned above must be obviously labeled by their common name.
Katie @ Katie Without Restrictions says
I have a question for you: do you know what it means if a label just lists "color added" on the ingredients list without stating a specific name?
100 Days of Real Food says
If it were me I would call the company to be sure it's natural and not artificial color although it sounds like it's most likely a natural color....
Misslea says
thank you for this wonderful post...it was very helpful
Aimee says
Hi Lisa. What do you usually put in your girls' Easter baskets?
100 Days of Real Food says
Here's a post all about it from last year: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/06/easter-without-the-junk/
Elizabeth says
Thanks for all the sources, this is good.
Kelly says
Thanks so much for this post! Education is the key to making a change. Now I have some good information to pass along when someone asks why I am not eating the bright blue cupcakes offered at a birthday part!
jmsdlsilver says
I just found your blog today and love it! My middle son has a "sensitivity" to red 40....I never even thought about how many products have dyes in them until I had to check it out for his sensitivity! I can rarely find cold medicines for him much less juice, etc! We have gone to a much more limited dye diet...Something positive out of his sensitivity! Loved this article!
Kristin says
Williams-sonoma has a detailed article about how to make your own natural easter egg dyes. Can't wait to try it.
http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/natural-egg-dye/
Dr C says
Thanks for posting this link. I will forward it to my readers as well
Angelica Totten says
Good article, but the word is "fazed," not "phased."