Artificial Food Dyes

This is such a great visual article about red 40, yellow 5 and 6, blue 1, etc.  Click artificial colors to learn how they may be effecting you or your kids?
Did you know that Kellogg's and Kraft don't use artificial colors in their products in Great Britain?... that yellow 6 is banned in Norway and Sweden?.. that Red 40 can cause hyperactivity?

We have been a dye free family for several years now.  I don't buy or offer anything to my kids without first reading the ingredient label.  It's easier than it used to be but I can't assume anything is safe because companies can change manufacturers who may in turn use cheaper ingredients.

Arm yourself with information.  Know what you and your kids are eating.  You might be surprised by what's really in that breakfast cereal.  You might wonder why your son or daughter has sleep problems, focus issues, keeps chewing on his collar...any of which could be due to a food color sensitivity.

Try an easy experiment.  Remove artificial colors from your diet for a couple days and see if you notice a difference. 

Red 40 in Designer Waters and Other Dangers

I find this article extremely important and very alarming. It's rather long but very informative.


By now you have probably seen the ads for MiO Liquid Water Enhancer, Kraft Foods' new gimmick aimed at young consumers seeking "cool" new ways to stand out among their peers. Leave it to the food and beverage industry to find a way to turn your perfectly healthful water into a mixture of toxic chemicals. This latest craze has you squeezing brightly colored flavor drops into your water from a cute little purse-sized bottle, and watching the mesmerizing nebula of color diffuse slowly into the clear water.

Very clever… a science experiment you can drink.

The market has been flooded with "functional waters," fortified (supposedly) with everything from vitamins and minerals to electrolytes, oxygen, fiber, and even protein. Supermarket beverage aisles can entice you along a virtual sea of beverage choices—energy drinks, vitamin waters, fitness waters, and sports/electrolyte concoctions in every imaginable color and flavor.

You can even buy a bottle of water infused with positive affirmations, said to "raise the consciousness of humanity" (Aquamantra). Or how about this one—bottled water fortified for your dog, called FortiFido?

But if you take a closer look at the labels, you'll discover they're spiking your punch with a lot of unsavory ingredients, many capable of wreaking havoc on your metabolism, hormones, and other physiological processes—and some of which are outright carcinogenic.


If you aren't already a label reader, it's time you became one, lest you fall prey to these clever marketing ploys.


Flashy labels, pretty colors, and seductive scents are not always harmless to your health—but they are incredibly alluring, especially to kids. Your child will be drawn in like an Emu to dangly earrings. So what's in this cute little bottle of liquid "water enhancer" with the equally cute name?


Mama MIO! More Like Factory Runoff than a Beverage
Here is the ingredient list for the Mango Peach variety of MiO:


Water, Malic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, "natural flavor," Sucralose, Acesulfame potassium, Potassium citrate, Polysorbate 60, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Potassium Sorbate (preservative).


Basically, this is a scary mixture of TWO artificial sweeteners, THREE dyes, one preservative, and propylene glycol (PG)—a solvent that can potentially result in cell mutations and skin, liver, and kidney damage, if ingested in high enough amounts. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) rates propylene glycol as a moderate hazard.


Artificial sweeteners are bad news for your health (they can lead to impaired kidney function, depression, headaches, infertility, brain tumors, and a long list of other serious health problems) and are unnecessary food additives—because there are SAFE natural sweetener alternatives.


All artificial sweeteners are risky, and MiO contains TWO of them!

Let's look at the rap sheets for some of MiO's flavor "enhancements":


•Sucralose (an artificial sweetener otherwise known as Splenda) is associated with respiratory difficulties, migraines, seizures, gastrointestinal problems, heart palpitations, and weight gain, and the list of reported problems is growing by the day.
•Acesulfame potassium (or Acesulfame-K) is another artificial sweetener that has been linked to kidney tumors.
•Food dyes have been connected to a variety of health problems, including allergic reactions, hyperactivity, decreased IQ in children, and numerous forms of cancer—and MiO has THREE of them.
•Polysorbate 60 is an emulsifying agent that, like PG, is rated as a moderate health concern by EWG and can be contaminated with ethylene oxide and 1,4 dioxane, two carcinogenic industrial pollutants.
Now, why go to the trouble of purifying your water, only to dump right back into it what you have just filtered out—a bunch of toxic chemicals?


This makes NO sense at all.


But MiO is just one example of a much larger problem. Enhanced waters have become an enormously lucrative business as people have begun to abandon soda pop for what they believe are better alternatives. Beverage battles (and now, water wars) have left manufacturers clamoring to come up with products that outdo all the rest. Are these beverages really better for you than soda? Not by a long shot.


Dysfunctional Beverages… Think Before You Drink
I don't want you to think I've singled out MiO as the big villain—it's just the most recent new recruit.

USA Today February 22, 2011


Guardian March 31, 2011


Fooducate April 11, 2011


Men’s Journal October 23, 2009

Advisory Committee Calendar March 30-31, 2011: Food Advisory Committee Meeting Announcement

This is so important.
The Food Advisory Committee will meet to discuss whether available relevant data demonstrate a link between children's consumption of synthetic color additives in food and adverse effects on behavior.

Advisory Committee Calendar March 30-31, 2011: Food Advisory Committee Meeting Announcement

Artificial Colors in Candy

Today I observed a child consuming "Skittles" (Mars, Inc.), which are brightly colored round candies. I wondered how many artificial colors were in these candies so I saved the wrapper, and I found that they contain Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Apple Juice from Concentrate, Less than 2% Citric Acid, Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Coloring (includes Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 1)Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

Reading this ingredient list and knowing what consuming this candy could do to my kids is so scary.  All of my children have some degree of artificial color / dye sensitivity.  Holidays like Halloween, Valentines Day and Easter are when worries rise the most but even regular days at school could potentially mean a slip.  My kids have learned the hard way about red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, etc. and are aware of how ingesting these dyes make them feel....or not feel.  We have a trade in policy and that works the best for us.  Saying no is becoming easier and easier as the boys get older but I think if more teachers and parents were aware of the dangers of artificials, we would see less junk for birthday snacks, classroom awards and holiday treats.


Artificial colors are in everything. Do we really know all the health risks that may be associated with artificial colors? 
This will be an ongoing list....Please add to it!
Nerd's Rope . . . - 10 artificial colors (Nestle, Inc.)

Jelly Belly Beans - 9 artificial colors

M&M's Peanut . . - 9 artificial colors (Mars, Inc.)

Skittles . . . . . . .- 9 artificial colors (Mars, Inc.)

Diet Therapy

Did you know.... Artificial colorings like red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blues 1, artificial flavorings, BHA, BHT, and TBHQ are all made from petroleum. In fact petroleum is commonplace in food and many of our everyday products. It is overlooked because the label does not say petroleum. Public interest is growing in this area and it's about time. The effects of petroleum are profound. During the 60's Dr. Feingold began his research linking diet to behavior.

The Feingold Program eliminates these additives:

Artificial (synthetic) coloring (these are red 40, yellow 5 and 6, blue 1, etc.)

Artificial (synthetic) flavoring

Aspartame (Nutrasweet, an artificial sweetener)

Artificial (synthetic) preservatives BHA, BHT, TBHQ

These additives have all been linked to behavior issues including:

Attention Deficits, Hyperactivity (ADD / ADHD)
Asthma
Autism, PDD, Aspergers
Bedwetting
Depression
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Learning Disabilities
Ear Infections
Eczema, Hives (Urticaria)
Eye Muscle Disorders, Strabismus, Nystagmus
Headaches, Migraines
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Seizures
Sleep Disorders, Nightmares, Night Terrors
Speech Difficulties
Tourette Syndrome
Violence, Aggression

MSG, household chemicals and salicylates are also a concern for us.

This youtube video is a good introduction to the Feingold philosophy and diet awareness.

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..."