Food Dyes Present Real Dangers to People Who Eat Them

You know that unnatural orange dust that clings to your fingers from a bag of cheesy crunchy snack food? That delicious sticky film is the result of making water-based dyes play well with oil-based flavors, and the main ingredient that helps it stick is the same one that helps your deodorant adhere to your skin: aluminum hydroxide.

Unnatural, but common all the same

Aluminum isn’t supposed to be eaten; it’s not a trace element like folic acid or niacin or riboflavin. It’s a metal, and one that can have serious health consequences. In September, we wrote about how the US Food And Drug Administration has no power to evaluate or regulate cosmetic items. The FDA can regulate things like snack foods, but the way it does so is almost unbelievable.

Food dyes are a tricky business. The best way to get bright colors that appeal to everyone is to use artificial chemicals, a process that would benefit from a high level of oversight. Instead, according to the Cornucopia Institute, “The FDA requires food dyes to be individually tested, but does not require the testing of dye mixtures. In spite of the scientific evidence demonstrating the potential neurotoxicity of dye mixtures, the FDA has refused to further regulate food dyes.”

The Huffington Post, created an entire list of dangerous dyes and chemicals often found in our snack foods: “Here are eight offenders and their associated health risks, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

• FD&C Blue No. 1— Linked to kidney tumors in mice, effects on nerve cells, and hypersensitivity reactions.
• FD&C Blue No. 2— Causes brain tumors in rats.
• FD&C Citrus Red No. 2— Causes urinary bladder tumors and possibly other organ tumors in rodents.
• FD&C Green No. 3— Causes significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats.
• FD&C Red No. 3— Recognized in 1990 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs, but still allowed in ingested drugs and foods. (Which doesn’t make a lick of sense.)
• FD&C Red No. 40 — May accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice; causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions and hyperactivity in children.
• FD&C Yellow No. 5— Often contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals; causes sometimes-severe hypersensitivity reactions; and can trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children.
• FD&C Yellow No. 6— Causes adrenal tumors in animals; often contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals; and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions.

Sadly, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 — the worst offenders — constitute over 90 percent of food dye production and consumption and they’re popping up in an increasing amount of products we use every day.”

Bad ingredients cause serious health issues

Dyes can cause serious issues, but they’re only the worst of a pretty terrible bunch. The base ingredient for most snacks is enriched cornmeal; a mush that is cracked, stripped down, and boiled to remove anything natural that could rot. The “enriched” part means that manufacturers add artificial versions of natural nutrients to give the mush the illusion of food. It would be more appropriate for most snack foods to be regulated by the US Drug Enforcement Agency instead of the FDA.

Long-term exposure to these ingredients can cause serious illness, but certain chemical allergies can cause immediate problems. If you or your loved one is experiencing any kind of adverse reaction or other medical condition, seek professional medical attention immediately. Just as you wouldn’t wait to visit the emergency room, don’t wait to seek professional legal advice. The experienced South Carolina dangerous product attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips LLC can evaluate your case and help get you the compensation you deserve. Call 803-327-7800 or contact us today for a free consultation.