CSPI urges FDA to ban Food Dyes that cause health problems in children

A U.S. food safety advocacy group urged federal regulators to impose a ban on the use of eight artificial food dyes because they may cause hyperactivity and behavior problems in children.

The blue color of Aunt Jemima Blueberry Waffles does not come from blueberries, neither does the yellow of Kraft Mac and Cheese come from the cheese. The dyes used to impart color in these foods may be very harmful and lead to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in some children.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban artificial coloring in all U.S. foods, maintaining that controlled studies conducted over three decades have shown hyperactivity in children after eating foods containing artificial food dye.

According to Michael F Jacobson, executive director of the CSPI in Washington, D.C., Americans are now consuming twice as much food dye per person as they did five decades ago.

"I think its crystal clear the dyes affect kids' behavior," said Jacobson. "The tougher questions are how many kids, and to what extent is their behavior affected? But time is long overdue to get rid of these dyes from the food supply. Let scientists study them in a laboratory."

Keeping in mind the adverse effects of artificial food dyes, the group called on the FDA to ban the following eight food dyes: Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6.

These ingredients, primarily derived from petroleum and coal tars, are used in everything from candies to cereals, soft drinks, and snack foods. Chemicals are often used to lure kids towards food of poor-nutrition value, said Jacobson.

FDA however, does not agree with the group and turned down the request saying on its web site “although the hypothesis was popularized in the 1970s, well-controlled studies conducted since then have produced no evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children.”