Dieting without artificial colors means choosing whole, natural foods – such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins that do not contain any synthetic dyes or artificial coloring agents.
General Mills made a commitment in 2015 to phase out artificial colors from Trix and Lucky Charms cereals by 2016, with 90% of their branded products becoming naturally colored by this deadline. Unfortunately, however, this goal remains unfulfilled.
Real Food
Real food has quickly become a culinary trend, meaning whole, minimally-processed foods that avoid artificial additives and flavors. Real food offers more benefits than simply eliminating processed food – it tastes better and supplies essential nutrients essential to keeping bodies healthy.
Studies have linked artificial dyes with hyperactivity and allergies in children. An diet high in real foods is essential in order to minimise exposure to harmful substances in the diet of young people.
Search the grocery store shelves for food without artificial coloring when shopping: you might just be surprised what items can be found!
Natural Food Colors
Manufacturers are increasingly turning to natural colors as a way of meeting consumer demand for cleaner label products. Natural pigments come from sources like plants, animals and minerals and don’t contain harmful chemicals that could have negative impacts.
Natural colors differ from synthetic food dyes in that they’re more reliable, providing food and beverage manufacturers with consistent color every time. Furthermore, these heat-stable hues retain vibrant shades when exposed to heat or cold environments, meaning that manufacturers can enjoy consistent products regardless of temperature or dish type.
Natural colors come from various sources, including vegetables, fruits, spices like turmeric or beetroot, or microbes such as yeast or fungi. Microbes produce pigment quickly at lower cost than animal or plant products while creating more shades than their plant or animal counterparts do. Furthermore, yeast/fungi colorants can be found both liquid or powder forms for cold applications like frosting and hot applications like baked goods.
Read the Labels
Color additives made from petroleum can be found in many food products, especially breakfast cereals, candy, soda and snacks marketed to children. Some fresh fruits even get dyed to brighten them!
In 2008, CSPI petitioned FDA for removal of these dyes citing decades of research showing their link with behavioral problems and other health hazards. Unfortunately, federal policy has remained unchanged despite these risks.
Only a select few companies have made pledges to reduce artificial colors. General Mills announced in 2015 that Trix and Lucky Charms cereal would become dye-free by 2016. Kellogg then pledged its food lines as dye-free by 2016.
These commitments were driven by a belief that consumers want clean labels without dyes, yet many companies failed to meet their self-imposed deadlines and still depend on synthetic color additives to make their products attractive and delicious. Lefferts hopes the new study will motivate companies to change this.
Make the Switch
Recently, several large food companies made headlines for their efforts to remove artificial dyes from their products in line with global consumer concerns and move towards clean labels made up of only ingredients that consumers recognize and can understand.
These initiatives had some initial success, yet their efforts ultimately fizzled out as a result of cost and because not all foods can be modified to eliminate tartrazine (Yellow 5).
Manufacturers remain interested in moving towards natural colors in their products, like General Mills reformulated Trix cereal without artificial dyes and has introduced child-targeted versions such as Sesame Street Cereal with no artificial hues. Such efforts demonstrate how it is possible to make a difference without disrupting supply chains or increasing costs to consumers.
