Dangers Of Synthetic Food Dye

Food dyes are used to make foods look more vibrant. For example, orange dyes are added to boxed orange juice to make the juice look fresher and more appealing. Dyes serve no purpose beyond marketing. They don’t change the taste or texture of a food and they don’t extend its shelf life. Because they don’t have any useful purpose, many advocate groups believe the dyes should be banned.

FDA Position

Although the FDA claims all food dyes currently on the market are safe, some of those same dyes have been banned or phased out in other countries. For example, Kellogg’s cereal bars are made using Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1 in the United States, but contain no artificial dyes in the UK. Instead, the same bars are produced there using beetroot, paprika and annatto extract to provide color.

Allergies

The most common problem with food dyes is allergic reactions. Four dyes in particular have been reported to cause allergic reactions: Yellow 5 and 6, Red 40 and Blue 1. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Red 40 might trigger hyperactivity in children and can cause serious allergic reactions in some people. Possible allergic reactions connected to dyes include everything from rashes, itching and swelling of the skin to palpitations, blurred vision and suffocation.

Cancer

A number of dyes cause cancer in animals after long-term exposure. Few studies have been conducted in-vitro and none on humans, so it’s difficult to say with certainty whether dyes can increase your risk of cancer. However, animal studies show that Green 3 has a risk of causing bladder and other tumors, while Red 3 has been linked to thyroid tumors. A number of dyes that were used in the past were later banned by the FDA because it was discovered they contained a cancer-causing contaminant. These include a number of red dyes -- such as Red 1, 2, 4 and 32— as well as Green 1 and some orange dyes.