Health advocates have made efforts to ban artificial dyes found in food; these petroleum-based chemicals are most often found in low nutritional value items like candy, soda and gelatin desserts. Unfortunately, federal legislation has yet to ban artificial food dyes altogether.
If you want to avoid them, the best strategy is to consume unprocessed and whole foods; look for natural coloring derived from fruits, vegetables and spices; you may even find “natural” versions of some favorite treats like Twizzlers at Whole Foods.
Real Food
Real food movement is one of the leading trends in health and nutrition. The premise behind it is to consume whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible while limiting junk food intake.
At its core, nutrition consists of choosing fresh, local produce (excluding citrus fruit) which has not been treated with pesticides; organic dairy products (if financially possible); 100% whole grains; healthy fats such as avocado and nuts/seeds; natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup; as well as wild-caught or grass-fed meats.
Eating real food helps you avoid artificial colors. If you want to add color, try dye-free products made by Watkins that use vegetable juices and spices as sources for their hue, such as the Twizzlers from Watkins that offer the same natural hue without synthetics added in as coloring agents. Similarly, many candy decorations offer natural Twizzlers or candies without dyes in them as decorations for meals or decorations for decorations that you can buy locally that don’t contain synthetic dyes either.
Avoiding Packaged Foods
Food dyes can be found in numerous products, including cereal, cereal bars, candy, snacks, beverages and vitamins. Some freshly oranges are even dipped into dye to give them more colour! A recent study suggests that these food dyes could contribute to hyperactivity among children.
Sensient Technologies of St. Louis is gearing up to meet an increase in orders from customers looking to switch away from synthetic colorants such as red 40, yellow 5, red 6, tartrazine and blue 1.
PepsiCo recently announced its entire portfolio, such as Lays and Tostitos chips, will be free from artificial colors by year’s end. General Mills, WK Kellogg and other food companies have pledged similar goals; state labeling laws may have spurred some companies’ decisions; however, experts note switching over to natural dyes could prove more costly for both companies and customers.
Avoiding Food Additives
Many foods that appear healthy, such as cereal and fruit snacks, contain artificial dyes. But you can find many dye-free options by searching organic or all natural labels, or natural colors such as beta-carotene, chlorophyll, iron oxides and carmine. Unfortunately, though something natural doesn’t guarantee safety – carmine is made by beetles, and may trigger allergic reactions in some people.
Artificial food coloring has come under increased scrutiny as researchers worry it may contribute to hyperactivity in children and increase the risk of thyroid tumors in animal studies, while genotoxicity studies have linked many synthetic colors with cancerous growths in animals.
Positively, more manufacturers are turning away from chemical dyes and towards natural alternatives. PepsiCo recently made the switch from Yellow 5 and Red 40 dyes in its Lays and Tostitos products to more natural ingredients; WK Kellogg pledges to eliminate artificial dyes entirely in its cereals by 2027.
Avoiding Artificial Colors
Recently, health-minded consumers have begun demanding greater transparency from food manufacturers regarding the use of artificial dyes. These petroleum-derived dyes can be found in most candy, soft drinks and processed foods to produce red or yellow hues; they have also been linked with hyperactivity among children as well as allergic reactions for some individuals.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, along with 23 consumer organizations and scientists, has successfully advocated in several states to ban artificial dyes – most notably Red Dye 3 which has been shown to cause cancer in rats. While FDA banned Red Dye 3, makers of foods and medicines that contain it still have until 2027 to remove it from their products.
As far as artificial colors go, eating whole, unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins is the easiest way to steer clear. Check ingredient lists on packaged food products and look out for brands using natural color additives such as annatto, turmeric, beet juice concentrate or spinach in their formulations.
