Red 40

Ugh,  Why is Red 40 in SO many things!  I could write for hours about red 40.  Why, or why is this dye even allowed in our food supply?    You might wonder what is Red 40?  Color additives have been around for a very long time.  There are many.  Yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1 are some of the main ones.  Most of the time these additives are added to our foods to make them more appealing.  Mankind responds well to the color red.  Red Dye #40 (and all FDA certified dyes) is referred to as a "Coal Tar" dye.    The proper chemical name for Red40 is:
6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid
Try saying that 3x!!

My sons last basketball game was this afternoon.  They try hard.  Honors afterward included a cool trophy and a "goodie" bag.  The kids version of a goody bag usually include airheads, starburst, skittles, gummy worms, etc.  Unfortunately, all these have artificial color in them!   We have a trade in deal.  The kids know they can trade in the artificial stuff  for real stuff, like real chocoate or another real treat.  Sometimes we trade for quarters.  It works in our house.  The kids don't have to ask "Why can't I have this?"  And I don't have to say, "mom said..."