Food Politics

It seems to me that, like high fructose corn syrup, food dyes are evidence that the food product has been highly processed. Despite conflicting research, if a person is trying to eat as natural a diet as possible and avoid “food-like” products, she should shy away from any product that lists food dyes on its label.

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I just saw an interesting clip on YouTube about this. Google Robyn O’brien. She also has a book. I ordered it but haven’t received it yet. I find the whole thing frightening.

Real foods don’t have dyes.

Why do you always insist on more and more labels?

We’re talking about food dyes here, you can see them for cripes sake – they actually color the food, sorta like the red dye added to diesel fuel to thwart tax cheats.

Why won’t parents of ultra-sensitive kids take responsibility for shielding them from esoteric threats, real and imagined. Why must we all live in an eccentric bubble papered over with boring labels no one reads?

I swear, labels are the ‘duct tape’ of nanny state operatives. Fix just about anything with ‘em.

@Doc Mudd –

Don’t I have the right to know what ingredients are in my food? Maybe we could just have the Look Who’s Talking approach and tear the labels off altogether. “Could be lunchmeat; could be peaches.”

My cousin has severe allergies – real, not imagined – to a lot of additives. It’s probably my uncle and aunt’s fault for not taking responsibility, but when all his friends get to eat sweets every once in a while, it’s nice to know that there’s one brand he can eat. How do we know that? Um… Because the ingredients are on the “boring” label.

Sure, the majority of people who are obese are so because they eat more than they burn off. Sure, the majority of kids who display hyperactive behaviour do so because they’re wired on sugar and caffeine. These are not problems you can legislate your way out of – or, indeed, blame on other people. I honestly don’t know, however, how one is expected to experience this wonderful freedom concept without access to all the information.

OK, how ’bout we just label the really, really extra special stuff…

Contains no: Fat, gluten, artificial hormones, nightair miasma, sodium, peanut derivatives, negative chi, artificial color, non-local pork products, scary sciency stuff, artificial flavor, flavor of any kind, calories, genetically modified water, or BPA.

There would be fewer labels and those will be a lot more interesting to read.

I kind of agree with Doc Mudd on this one.

Food labels take all the excitement, fun, and adventure out of eating. And a lot of times they’re $20 words I can’t even pronounce. Like, boring! I long for the good old pre-FDA, Forest Gump days when we, as rugged, rational individuals, could really depend on the market’s self-regulating forces of supply and demand to not due us any harm as consumers. Back when Uncle Sam was not our Nanny. You know, when food really was like a proverbial box of chocolates.

And remember that businesses always and rationally respond only to demand. So as long as there is no one demanding or wanting to be sickened, we’re good as consumers. Since no one is demanding to be poisoned or sickened, businesses won’t provide us food to consume that does either.

I remember as a kid I would get excited about the mystery of what my food contained–sometimes it was a super secret decoder ring, sometimes it was the last toy of a collector set I was hoping to find. Food was a lot more fun to eat back then.

Why shouldn’t it be just as fun as adults today to discover for ourselves whether we get Yellow 5 or Blue 12 in our food?

For once, I ALMOST agree with Mudd! But not quite. The right to know trumps his contrived “fear” of a “nanny” state.

I had a very hyperactive child who DID react to red food color (in a very carefully monitored elimination diet). Fine. We kept him off red food color–not difficult in our real food household. But what happened at school? In spite of strict forbiddance (in writing) he was given M&M’s by a teacher (she used them as rewards!–what are they, puppies?). Bear in mind, that in this case, red dye causes not only hyperactivity, but induces rage! The teacher didn’t forget again, but my child and the class were unnecessarily subjected to a seizure-like outburst from my son that was unpleasant for everyone involved.

Yes, it may be rare, but so is peanut allergy. You cannot always see the dye readily or have been conditioned to think something is orange (Cheetoes) naturally. What is the big deal about warning people?

Please do not imply that any parent can monitor every bite that goes into the mouth of a twelve-year-old. But the twelve-year-old can be taught to READ THE LABEL. And the teacher can be reminded to READ THE LABEL.

Even though a reaction to dye may be rare, it still adds up to a lot of kids in the overall population and since they dye only serves the marketers of junk food, why continue this practice?

Why should my child (and his teacher) suffer to pad the pocketbooks of shareholders in companies that make money by luring children to ingest substances that have no nutritional value?

Companies cannot react to the demands of a consumer who is not presented with options. Ingredient lists are important to the market and part of the freedoms American consumers enjoy.

“OMG, my 6 year old chubby-wubby kid just drank a 16 oz red food dye-colored sugar laden soda, and now he’s all hyper. It must be the food dyes, as it certainly cannot be attributed to the bolus of pure sugar he ingested!”

Not that I’m pro food dyes, as they are used in an attempt to make cheaply processed garbage look like something resembling food, but really, if you’re buying that kind of crap, then you should stop complaining about possible side effects.

I think we should have a label on most packaged foods that says “Made from 100% PURE CRAP”

[...] What's up with food dyes and hyperactivity? - Food Politics [...]

[...] http://www.foodpolitics.com/2011/03/whats-up-with-food-dyes-and-hyperactivity/ [...]

I have to agree that Food Dyes are only used to make ‘junk’ foods pleasing to the eyes.

However, to slap warning labels on products containing dyes is a bit much. The ingredients are listed on the packages, including the dyes used.

People react differently to different things. Unless something is universally proven to cause irreparable damage to a person, a warning label should not be needed. Think cigarettes, beer, phenylalanine, etc.

I’m allergic to cats, maybe we should start putting warning labels on all the cats in the country. “Warning: Close proximity to cats may cause sneezing, watery eyes, and scratchy throats in some people.”

Warning labels on cats is an EXCELLENT idea. Long overdue.

I have just one warning label to affix to the DIY cat sign kit — “Caution: Be extra careful to stick the cat safety label on the correct anatomical spot on the first try”.

Cats are mostly OK with the labeling process unless you have to tear off and re-affix. For some reason they really, really resent that inconvenience and they let you know in no uncertain terms. (A particularly fiesty Maine Coon Cat put me out of the cat labeling business for a couple of weeks last year – wanna see my scars?)

Other than that, and excellent plan!

[...] What’s up with food dyes and hyperactivity? <<There are a bunch of articles about this, but I like Marion Nestle’s point that the only purpose of these dyes is to sell junk food. (Food Politics) [...]

I don’t understand the need for food dyes. Why put this junk in our food when they can use natural colorings such as paprika and beet juice? Also, I for one, do not feel the need for food that is blue.

[...] affect some children who are sensitive to them, much like a peanut allergy. Maybe, but I agree with Marion Nestle that they don’t do anything for the rest of us besides sell junk food. And further, products that [...]

Whether or not food dyes cause hyperactivity is a red herring, and exactly what the industry would like to spend money on for several more years as a stall tactic. What’s very clear is that synthetic food dyes are not needed to live a healthy life. There, now we can get on to spending research money on something more important.

Anyone who thinks that artificial colors are only in junk food must not read many nutritional labels, or be aware that it can be included without being labelled (like in meat at a butcher’s counter). Food coloring is in everything from vitamins to cough syrup to yogurt to, well anything we put in our bodies that isn’t a whole food. Obviously Froot Loops are a horrible food laden with food coloring, but what about cheese, barbeque sauce, canned soups, or that expensive steak you picked up at the butcher’s counter or a salmon fillet.

The reality is that we don’t need artificial food colorings – like every other artificial ingredient out there. We’ve been trained by clever marketing to think food only looks like food when dyes have been added. When I made my daughter’s birthday cake (a pink butterfly) I colored the icing with water I’d saved from cooking beets. St. Patrick’s Day? Chlorophyll took the place of green food coloring. There are so many natural options, including natural food colorings you can buy commercially.

And what so many people are ignoring (including this post) is that many food colorings have been banned by the EU but not here. Why is it that their kids are worth it but ours aren’t? Many global food producers make one version of their product, laden with artificial food dyes, for the North American market and another for the European market.

[...] Nestle goes over the history of the science and it is indeed [...]

Marion,

This is a topic that I feel is very important as I was myself considered “hyper” as a child, I was allergic to everything, and I spent roughly 4 years on the Feingold diet … in the 1970s.

For me, now in my mid-30s, I look back on those times of no preservatives, no refined sugars, and no colors thankful that I am now completely allergy free.. and I often recommend my friends to follow a similar path.

Food is to me the most critical building block (particularly for young children), and having a regulatory body that looks beyond votes and current economic models is desperately needed.

I was born in 1966. When I was growing up, my mother discovered there were times she just didn’t like me. The pediatrician told her to not give me Kool-Aid. She was amazed at the change. So, 15 years later with my brother, she made sure never to give him artificial food coloring. So I am always amazed when this comes up. Where have these people been for the last 15-20 years? If my pediatrician knew enough to tell my mom what the problem was, why doesn’t that FDA know anything?

It’s hard to believe anyone would think that food would be gray if it didn’t contain petroleum-based additives! Aside from liverwurst, I can’t think of any food that is gray. I’m not just talking about the beautiful colors of fresh fruits and vegetables, but about the all-natural Yummy Earth lollipops in red, yellow, etc. How about the lovely shades of chocolate eggs with pastel candy coating that look like bird’s eggs, or the naturally colored jelly beans from Trader Joe’s and Jelly Belly (yes, they make natural candy too). Trader Joe’s also has a bright orange soda colored with plant-based dyes. Natural Chee-tos are a pretty pale yellow and Tostitos makes a yellow chip that is not only organic, but it is natural!
The Feingold Association locates natural alternatives for all the favorite foods and publishes books listing them.
As for the idea that studies have disproved the additive/hyperacitivty link, that isn’t the case at all.
At the FDA hearings the Feingold representative showed both the panel and the researchers why so many of the tests came up inaccurate information.
Many of the studies followed these steps: 1. Place a group of children on the Feingold diet. 2. About 70% of them responded favorably. 3. Challenge them with a typical dose of 27 mg of food dye and observe how many of them had a return of the hyperactivity. 4. When only a few children became hyper, the conclusion was that the diet did not work.
But wait a minute! Look at step 1 and 2. The Feingold diet did work for about 70%, it was the challenge that failed!
Why would a 27 mg challenge of dyes have very limited effects?
Probably because the typical child ingests ten times that amount of dye in a day!
If you gave a hyperacitve child 1 mg of Ritalin and didn’t see any change, would you conclude that the drug is ineffective? Or would you understand that a tiny dose might not be enough?
One more thing….back to that gray food. Would you eat food if it was brown, instead of gray? No? Does brown food sound yucky? then I guess you don’t like chocolate!

[...] Even though, other countries banned the junk YEARS ago.Dr. Marion Nestle has a two part story; one is about food additives, the other is a response to the FDA decision. I found a Harvard Medical School post about the [...]

Avoiding all artificial food dyes is beneficial to behavior, learning, & health for kids & adults. Our family has avoided artificial colors, flavors, & 3 anti-oxidant preservatives: BHA, BHT, & TBHQ since March 1977 with dramatic results. Positive observations for 3 yr old after 3 days 100% following Feingold recommendations: No more sleepless nights, temper tantrums, or biting other kids. No more climbing 30 ft trees or running into the street or dancing on the table tops. Her Pediatrician could examine a calm child for the 1st time. After 3 months on Feingold, her 37 yr old father focused better & was calm without headaches, sleeplessness, & ‘anger’ issues. Because of amazing changes in our family, I volunteered to help other families ‘research’ whether omitting artificial dyes, etc could bring peace to their families too.
YES fortunately, I learned many times over that diet intervention could help such a high percentage of families struggling with ADHD, & other behavior, learning, & health issues. It has taken too long to share this happy news w/ the greater public community. However, I am hopeful that in my lifetime new studies with accurate dye challenges will reveal to the scientists & the larger medical community & public what parents & some health care providers have known since 1975. Shame on the FDA for letting big business interests win against so many families who are still suffering from the negative effects of food dyes & other chemicals in American food supply. The manufacturers & FDA will finally ‘get it’ when more folks ‘vote’ by purchasing foods without chemicals.

[...] They argue that the coloring worsens hyperactivity in some children. Marion Nestle recently provided a rundown of the science behind food coloring and hyperactivity, and I think you’ll agree [...]

Food labeling laws are still not stringent enough. I have a severe MSG sensitivity and have met many others in the same predicament lately. I have to pass on many food items because it MAY have MSG in it. I cannot be certain that it does not have any due to fuzzy ingredient names like natural flavoring, artificial flavoring, spices, and the list goes on and on. Even meats are beginning to show up at the meat counter with small print, “contains broth,” “up to 15% flavor enhancing solution,” and other such nonsense. If you don’t need labels, don’t read them. But I cannot make an informed decision about a food for myself or my children without the facts on the label. (I use the term “facts” very loosely as the food industry in continually revamping their terminology whenever an ingredient gets a bad rap.)

[...] expert on food policy and Professor of Public Health and Sociology at NYU, wrote about the issue on her blog and at The Atlantic. It was unclear to me from what she wrote whether Dr. Nestle agreed with the [...]

[...] Last year in kindergarten for some day related to Dr. Seuss, perhaps his birthday(?), their teacher made green eggs for all the kids using green food coloring.  The girls were quite taken by this, but we try to avoid food coloring. Per Marian Nestle: [...]