The truth about the ADHD data on food coloring

Although the FDA insists that food dyes are safe, studies say otherwise. Artificial food coloring contributes to ADHD symptoms such as restlessness and hyperactivity, and if food coloring were removed from the diet, a large percentage of children would not need prescription ADHD medications such as Concerta or Ritalin.

ADHD additives to food colorings that cause reactions are carmoisine, tartrazine, ponceau, sunset yellow, carmoisine, quinoline yellow, and allura red. For example, Sunset Yellow (also known as Orange Yellow S, FD&C Yellow) is known to induce allergic reactions. It can be found in many products such as any orange, apricot or citrus jam or jelly, marzipan, hot chocolate mix, packaged soup mixes, breadcrumbs, cheese sauces and sodas and many other products that are yellow, orange in color and red.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest would like the FDA to ban eight (Yellow 5 and 6, Red 3 and 40, Blue 1 and 2, Green 3 and Orange B) of the most common artificial dyes, or at least place a warning label to products containing coloring such as “Warning: Artificial coloring in this food causes hyperactivity and behavior problems in some children.” And did you know that food companies are, as we speak, phasing out coloring in food in the UK and parts of Europe? At McDonald’s in the UK, the strawberry syrup in an ice cream is a red color from strawberries and in the US; the red color doesn’t come from the strawberries but from a carbon-derived chemical also known as Red 40. That’s crazy!

Let’s face it, our kids love color and that’s the only reason kids’ snacks and cereals contain food coloring. But the color is only attractive; too much attracts the child to want it, it has no nutritional value. Even if your child doesn’t have ADHD allergies to food dyes, why expose them to harmful chemicals like these?

We all need to focus on nutritious meals at home, in schools, and in restaurants, but we need everyone’s help to let businesses know we don’t want or need artificial chemicals to make our food look better.