ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORING

1. ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORING By: Courtney Bonilla and Lauren Stys

2. What is food dye? • Food dye is artificial food coloring that is generally used to change the color of a food or drink. • Have any of you heard that artificial food dyes are unnecessary and should be avoided? • “Americans consume five times as much food dye as they did 30 years ago according to the Food and Drug Administration.” (“The Dyes Have It” par. 1) • Food dye is a common substance that is consumed daily by children everywhere. • Food dye can be found in snacks or foods such as waffles, chips, candy, cereal, and juice, etc.

3. There was a boy, 6 years old, his parents could not calm him down from tantrums lasting two hours long. He had a hard time focusing and controlling his melt downs. Unexplained outbursts led to doctors assuming he needed prescriptions to control his hyperactivity and emotions. The parents were not buying that their son needed medication, nor did they want to get their young child to experience other side effects from the medicine. They held on to hope as maybe there were other answers out there in order to help their son.

4. Linked Behavioral Problems? • Food dye has been said to be linked to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some children. • A pediatric allergist by the name of Dr. Ben Feingold, practicing out of San Francisco, claims that when he removed food dyes from his patient’s diets, there were vast improvements for many of the children. (“Diet & ADHD” par. 4) • Diagnosing children with hyperactivity has increasingly become the answer to many parents, by doctors, who are trying to help a child become more attentive and able to control their outbursts. • Parents can be devastated by their child’s behavior, but little do they know that a change in a diet can make all the difference, benefiting both the child and their parents.

5. “Is Red Food Dye #40 driving your child crazy?” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwqrdt4A8Uk

6. Recently as of August 2009: • In a randomized trial, 153 three-year olds and 144 eight to nine year olds, were discovered to have increased hyperactivity when consuming artificial food coloring.(“Are Artificial Food Colors to Dye For?” par. 4) • Researchers constructing this trial showed that food dye can result in hyperactivity and many children can benefit from eliminating consumption of food coloring.

7. Cosmetic Colors • Food dyes are simply used for “the look.” • The main purpose for color additives is to seem more inviting and appealing, especially to children. Stated by the Executive Director, of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, Michael Jacobson, "It masks the absence of real food.” (“Secret Shame” par. 2) • Let’s face it, how often do children choose a piece of toast over a pop tart, not very often. The color and sprinkles on a pop tart look “more tasty.” • Society often has the need for aesthetic, often choosing what they eat by whether it “looks” good or not, not whether it is good for your health. • When foods are processed, they often loose their color, and food dyes can make the food look “attractive.” • Factually, without food dyes, products can still be produced, as the food coloring is strictly cosmetic and used to appeal consumers. (“Are Artificial Food Colors to Dye For?” par. 2)

8. Europeans take Action… • Though the United States continues to use artificial food coloring, the European Parliament approved a warning label that stated “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” (“The Dyes Have It.”) • This caused many companies to remove the dyes altogether so that they did not have to include such a label on their packaging of their products. • “British arms of General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft, Mars, and McDonalds, for example, use few or no dyes.” (“The Dyes Have It.” par. 1) • For example, McDonald’s Sundaes. • It is unfortunate that other multinational companies are taking action, yet here in the United States the consumption of artificial food color continues to grow.

9. 2. Some say, parents who have an issue with their child consuming artificial dye should purchase products from specialty stores that exclude food dyes in their ingredients. • Many parents or guardians of children have not been educated about the effects of artificial food dyes on children. • 1. Others claim that there is not enough evidence to support the fact that food dye is directly linked to hyperactivity (“The Dyes Have it” par. 7) • CSPI Executive Director, Michael Jacobson states, that people who hold onto the idea that dyes do not impair behavior, they are not up to date with research, and the skyrocketing of diagnosing children with ADHD is growing. • Many well-known companies also argue that Food dye is not linked to hyperactivity, when in reality their main concern is more often profit. • When producing products, it is much cheaper to use artificial food dyes, so a citizen’s health may not be their priority.

10. Claim of Policy Because artificial food dyes cause hyperactivity in children, and the government has a responsibility to care for it’s citizens, the FDA should require warning labels on food containing artificial food dye.

11. Conclusion • By having warning labels on food containing artificial food dye, parents will be informed about the ingredient their child may be consuming on a daily basis. • Removing this ingredient can benefit both the child and the parent. • Food coloring is cosmetic, and not necessary in producing foods. • Children may suffer from uncontrollable tantrums, increased hyperactivity, and may put a strain on relationships by consuming these dyes. • What's the next step? Britain has stepped up on the issue, here in the United States, it is all about spreading the word amongst parents and making it well known, so together they can make a difference, for the well being of children.

12. Works Cited • “Are Artificial Food Colors to Dye For? EN Sheds Light on a Colorful Topic." Environmental Nutrition 32.8 (2009): 7. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. • "Diet & ADHD." Nutrition Action Health Letter 35.3 (2008): 2. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. • "The Dyes Have It." Nutrition Action Health Letter 35.8 (2008): 10. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. • "Secret Shame." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 179.2 (2008): 131. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwqrdt4A8Uk