Artificial food coloring was something that I initially knew very little about. Yes, I had seen the color plus the number symbol listed on the back of a cereal box but never thought much about it.
Several years ago I was at a play date organized by a local Mommies group. One of the moms was eliminating artificial food dye from her son's diet in hopes to eliminate some of his symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity. After that initial conversation I found that artificial food dye kept 'popping' up in my news feed or in other conversations with moms.
About a year later I noticed that my daughter, then age 3, would have huge tantrums after having sugary, dye-laden snacks. I did not make the connection immediately, but eventually through trial and error, I learned that she did not tolerate food dye in large amounts. I then began to eliminate all artificial food coloring in our diet at home.
What does the FDA have to say about artificial food dye? In 2011 the agency concluded that exposure to food with artificial food colors and preservative may be associated with adverse behaviors in susceptible children. Especially those children with ADHD. The agency took no regulatory action. In fact, even though the FDA requires the dyes to be listed on the label, the amounts are not required.
What about other countries? Since 2010, the European Union has required food manufacturers to place a warning label on all products with artificial food dyes declaring that they "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". What did food companies do in response? They changed their ingredients to eliminate artificial food dyes in order to avoid the negative label.
You may wonder how much exposure you or your child has to artificial food dyes. The latest research out of Purdue University found that one cup of General Mills' Trix cereal contained 36.4 milligrams of artificial food dyes (yellow 6, blue 1, and red 40). Fruit Cheerios has 31 milligrams per cup. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has 17.6 milligrams per 1 cup serving. Children's cereals, fruit snacks, and even white marshmallows all contain artificial food dyes.
What is my take? I vote with my dollar. I refuse to buy cereals or snacks that contain artificial food dyes. Do my children still get exposed to artificial food dye? Unfortunately, the answer to that is still 'Yes'. About once a month they get an Icee or soft serve as a special treat. Or they are given candy or a treat at a birthday party or special occasion. Of course they still get to go trick-or-treating on Halloween. I have found that I cannot completely eliminate artificial food dyes. What I do instead is educate my children. I tell them why they cannot have the 'Scooby Doo' fruit snacks from the grocery store. I tell them that certain food contain 'bad colors' and that we try hard not to eat bad colors.
You may wonder how much exposure you or your child has to artificial food dyes. The latest research out of Purdue University found that one cup of General Mills' Trix cereal contained 36.4 milligrams of artificial food dyes (yellow 6, blue 1, and red 40). Fruit Cheerios has 31 milligrams per cup. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has 17.6 milligrams per 1 cup serving. Children's cereals, fruit snacks, and even white marshmallows all contain artificial food dyes.
What is my take? I vote with my dollar. I refuse to buy cereals or snacks that contain artificial food dyes. Do my children still get exposed to artificial food dye? Unfortunately, the answer to that is still 'Yes'. About once a month they get an Icee or soft serve as a special treat. Or they are given candy or a treat at a birthday party or special occasion. Of course they still get to go trick-or-treating on Halloween. I have found that I cannot completely eliminate artificial food dyes. What I do instead is educate my children. I tell them why they cannot have the 'Scooby Doo' fruit snacks from the grocery store. I tell them that certain food contain 'bad colors' and that we try hard not to eat bad colors.
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