Move Over Sugar, Here Comes Food Dye

on October 15, 2008 at 1:19 PM

Sugary snacks can turn even the mildest mannered tot into the Tasmanian Devil. Now, moms may have another food enemy to worry about--food colorings. Think: rainbow sprinkles, kids cereal, and snack crackers. My girlfriend's daughter won't even eat any cereal that doesn't turn the milk blue!

But now researchers in Europe say they've found a link between blue, green, red, orange, and yellow food colorings and hyperactivity, even in kids who don't normally act that way. And England's equivalent to our FDA recently asked food makers there to voluntarily replace products with certain food dyes by 2009.

Scientists here in the States are a little skeptical about the European research, and so far the FDA maintains these food colorings are no cause for concern. But consumer watchdog groups have filed petitions asking the agency to revisit the issue and consider banning eight colorings here.

Meantime, it wouldn't hurt to pay attention to your child's activity level after eating colored foods and consider replacing them with some healthier snacks. How about some of nature's candy, like in the picture above? Fall apples rock.

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: child care, food, safety

Comments (11)

Sarahem

on Oct 15, 2008 at 2:03 PM

Geez. My aunt, who is now in her 40s, wasn't allowed to have anything with red or yellow dyes in it as a child for this reason. This isn't new, and I wonder why her doctor knew it then, yet the FDA doesn't now. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I'm glad to see someone is shedding some light on it to let some parents know.

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ToddlerBrain82

on Oct 15, 2008 at 2:44 PM

Thank you for this. We make a huge effort to keep food dyes out of our diets. Did you know that food dyes are a petroleum-based product?

Cafe Cynthia

on Oct 15, 2008 at 2:47 PM

Yuck, really? I didn't know that. Someone also told me that red dye is sometimes made from bug exoskeletons, but I don't know if that's true or not.

J9Mommy

on Oct 15, 2008 at 9:33 PM

CafeCynthia...your friend is right. She was refering to carmine. You can google it.

My dad and I seem to get hives from certain foods dyed with certain red dyes, so I try to avoid them.

With my son having special needs we have tried to cut back on dyes, artificial flavorings etc...He also has food allergies.

I have to pay more, but I sitll get him treats. Like I just ordered him jelly beans and gummy worms for Halloween that are naturally made.

If this article makes you want to pick up some natural candy click here I bought these for my kids at henrys, whole foods etc..and they are way better than regular lolipops.

jms124

on Oct 16, 2008 at 9:30 AM

I've never seen any hyperactivity out of my kids, my nephews or my younger sisters due to sugar or food dye. I love to bake and will color the cake and/or the icing (red and green at Christmas, pink and purple at Easter, sometimes I just make a green cake because my son thinks it's funny). Remember, eggs were bad for you at one time too.

on Oct 16, 2008 at 9:46 AM

J9Mommy -- yes! I buy these lollipops for my kids, too! They are actually the only ones I will by for them. They come in great flavors too, like Tango Mango and Pomegranate, and do not contain any high fructose corn syrup. My kids absolutely adore them and I don't feel that guilty giving them out. A little expensive, though, but worth it in my opinion.

icook

on Oct 16, 2008 at 4:24 PM

I am an avid believer in eating whole and natural foods, organic if possible. The more I find out about how foods are processed and made the more I believe that preservatives and all the yucky chemicals they are putting in foods should be eliminated from our diets. We all want healthy kids, right? Why feed them junk? My kids get all the treats and kid friendly food as the next, but in an all natural, home made variety (in fact they are munching on an all natural version of home made chex mix as I'm typing this). I just think we need to give our kids a healthier start than we got. Our moms didn't have the information that we have today.

momincolorado41

on Oct 16, 2008 at 6:50 PM

I have a 2 yr old son and just recently we have noticed that he is extra hyperactivity. As a preschool teacher I remembered a class we had to take on nutrition and I remembered about food dye and how it can effect young children for years. After taking food dye, specially red #40 out of our sons diet he is back to normal. It is so strange how it transfers a child into a sweet thing into a toddler monster within minutes. *L*

Angie430

on Oct 27, 2008 at 8:33 AM

I have a 3 yr old who develops autistic behaviour and becomes so hyper it's unsafe after eating foods like these, yes it is amazing that the FDA is so untruthful.

And if you're children aren't affected good! But don't be ignorant

3are_a_blessing

on Sep 8, 2009 at 6:30 PM

I was just thinking about ideas for healthy halloween party food that isn't highly processed or dyed. You can see some naturally colorful recipes here that feature ingredients like carrots and canteloupe.