The Center for Science in the Public Interest is requesting that the Food and Drug Administration ban artificial food dyes added to many foods due to the fact that they may be linked to attention and behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, ADD and ADHD in sensitive children. They are requesting that eight artificial dyes including Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6 be replaced with natural alternatives that are already being used in the United Kingdom as they phase out the use of the synthetic dyes. Artificial food dyes are used in everything from candy and soft drinks to cereal and other processed food products in the United States. In fact, Americans consume twice the amount of artificial colorings today than they did 50 years ago and some studies show that the end result is more children with increased risk of hyperactivity.
The FDA has yet to comment on this petition, but hopefully it will lead to a ban or at the very least better labeling of foods containing these artificial substances. More details on this request are available at the The Center for Science in the Public Interest website.
Also check out Kim’s recent post “Food Dye Rebellion Starts Now!” on BabyCenter.
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