Harmful Effects Of Red Food Coloring

Food coloring may seem like a harmless additive, serving only to make food look more attractive, especially to children, by adding, preserving or enhancing color. Although food coloring is not universally bad, some food colorings have harmful side effects. Red food colorings are not exempt from potential danger. You can find these dyes on the labels for foods, such as cereals and beverages, but not every food with these additives has a label.

Citrus Red 2

When you walk into the produce section of your grocery store, color draws your eye. You may pick out many fruits based on how brightly colored they are. Fruits do not come with labels of ingredients because fruits do not have ingredients -- except in some cases. Citrus Red 2 is a red food coloring that is put on orange peels to enhance their color.. Yet in 1976, the FDA, rescinded approval of Red 2 due to tests performed on female rats that led to cancer, according to a "Time Magazine" article published on February 2, 1976. At the time of publication, Red 40 has replaced Red 2 in most of the products it was once used in, but Red 2 is still found on some orange peels. Red 2 may lead to internal organ damage and cancer, according to Ruth Winter, M.S. in her book "A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives." Winter is the former science editor of "The Star-Ledger" in New Jersey as well as the author of 34 health books.

Red 40

Red 40 is the food dye most widely used and is found mainly in junk foods. You can also find Red 40 in cereal, beverages, pet food and dry drink powders. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Red 40 causes allergy-like reactions. This food dye is also a known carcinogen that was linked to reproductive problems in rats, as noted in "A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives."

Red 3

Red 3 is an additive you can find in candy, baked goods and fruit roll-ups. The makers of maraschino cherries once used Red 3 to color their product, but at the time of publication, they use Red 40. A 1983 review committee found convincing evidence that Red 3 caused thyroid tumors in rats and the FDA suggested banning it; it was not banned. You may still see this dye in items such as chewing gum and cake icing, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Effects on Children

According to Nancy Cordes, consumer safety correspondent for CBS News, artificial food coloring like Red 40 and Blue 2 contribute to restlessness, hyperactivity, and attention problems in some children. The children at the highest risk for these effects are those with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Also, eliminating food coloring from the diet of children with ADHD is approximately 25 to 50 percent as effective in decreasing symptoms as prescribing prescription medication such as Ritalin, notes Cordes.