Parents were shocked to discover that many foods targeted toward children contain artificial coloring made from petroleum-oil derived dyes – something linked with hyperactivity and other health concerns.
Food without artificial colors is easy to come by; simply look out for these items:
Real Food
Real food refers to ingredients in their natural state that have not been modified through processing, helping avoid artificial colors and other potentially harmful additives.
Studies have demonstrated how artificial dyes can have adverse effects on children, including increased irritability, restlessness and hyperactivity. Due to these findings, many parents are now seeking foods without artificial colorings or additives as a solution for their kids’ wellbeing.
Customers searching for naturally colored products should keep these in mind:
Dairy products – Milk, cheese and yogurt are typically free from artificial colorings. Fresh fruits – Apples, bananas, oranges and grapes typically do not contain artificial colors either. Fresh vegetables – Carrots, celery, cucumbers and any other raw vegetable can typically be found without artificial hues either. Crackers such as plain rice crackers or saltines typically do not include artificial hues either.
Though many companies have pledged to phase out artificial colorings from their products, many have let the deadlines slip away due to finding that natural colors did not perform as effectively as artificial ones.
Avoiding Food Additives
Food additives can often be found in processed food, and should be limited as much as possible. Whole foods provide more essential vitamins and nutrients and naturally lack artificial dyes or colors.
The FDA has reviewed and approved 91 different color additives; seven have since been disallowed due to safety issues; these dyes include Blue 1, Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5, Red 3, Green 6 and Yellow 5.
Target and Amazon both carry dye-free products, while most fresh produce is also dye-free. When shopping, read labels carefully as some dyes can be concealed behind other chemicals; be wary of bottled beverages that contain dyes; while spray cheese used on nachos or chicken bowls may contain Yellow 5 and 6. When selecting colors instead look for natural colors from plants, animals, or minerals sources.
Avoiding Allergies
If you suffer from allergies to certain dyes, natural alternatives might be your best bet. Produce like fruits, vegetables and spices can often provide safe dye sources that are also sourced sustainably; such as those made of fruits. Manufacturing artificial colors requires considerable resources.
Food dyes manufactured in China often contain environmental toxins like phthalates and synthetic phenols which have the potential to be hormone disruptors and cause adverse health impacts.
People allergic to dyes made from petroleum-derived ingredients such as Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, may suffer symptoms including itching, swelling and respiratory distress. If you suspect that you’re sensitive to dyes, keeping a food diary could help identify patterns between what you eat and your symptoms; an elimination diet which involves gradually eliminating suspect foods can also prove useful in managing symptoms.
Avoiding Hyperactivity
Studies have implicated food dyes with hyperactivity in children.1 Experimentation should include eliminating major sources of these chemicals from your child’s diet such as candy, junk foods and brightly-colored cereals or beverages containing them; before making this transition consult your child’s physician first.
Blue No. 1, along with its structural analogs Brilliant Blue FCF and Indigotine, is one of the FDA-approved artificial colors known to cross the blood-brain barrier and used extensively for beverages, ice cream and foods to impart a light blue hue.
Also included on the TEDX list of endocrine disruptors is artificial food colorings; its presence has also been linked to genotoxicity resulting in mutations of body chromosomes. Thankfully, natural alternatives exist and you can find them at health food stores with strict quality standards that ban such additives from their shelves such as Whole Foods.
