Artificial Food Dye: Are They Harmful to Health?
10 minutes read.
In this article:
Overview
Do you know that virtually 80 percent of processed foods and drinks in our markets contain one or two artificial dyes (food colours) that gave them sustainable different colours?
You and I have been consuming them for years and perhaps never thought of how those colours came about or even the negative effect they may pose on your health.
Artificial food dyes are those chemical substances formulated by men in the lab from inedible compounds to enhance the colour of food, drinks, wine, drugs, and cosmetics to make them more attractive to consumers.
They are called artificial because they do not occur mutually and are not made from edible sources perhaps.
Some of these food dyes have been linked to allergy, hyperactivity in children, cancer, gut diseases, testosterone damage, and inflammation.
They are also used in non-food products such as drugs, medical devices, and crafting materials.
Though food dye had been used to colour food for more than 100 years ago, a lot of concerns have been raised by many researchers regarding the negative effect they pose on our health.
This brought the barn of many food clours in some developed countries including UK, US, and India.
If you’re concerned about whether food color may be harmful to your health, never bother again you have come to the right site.
This article breaks down all the questions you may have about food colours including alternative options if you want to avoid them.
Feel free to skip ahead.
What’s Artificial Food Dye?
Artificial dyes are chemicals that do not occur naturally in nature but are derived from petroleum. They are used in thousands of foods as a colouring agent.
In particular, breakfast cereals, candy, snacks, beverages, icing sugar, cakes, soft drinks and fruit juice, vitamins, wine, alcohol, and other products aimed at children are colored with dyes.
Even some fresh oranges are dipped in dye to brighten them and provide uniform colour.
Why do food companies use food dye?
1.These dyes are added to food for a number of reasons, most of them to make them beautiful and attractive to the eyes, (you know, because looks matter in food as most think):
2. To sustain colour or protect clour loss. Due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions, etc.
3. To correct natural variations in color.
4. To enhance colors that occur naturally
5. To provide color to colorless and “fun” foods
6. To make food more attractive and appetizing, informative, and fun.
7. Allow consumers to identify products on sight like candy flavors or medicine dosages, soft drinks
Brief History of Food Dye
Using colorants to enhance food is not a new thing. In fact, the use of food dye is thought to go back as early as 1500 BC in Egyptian cities.
At this time, ancient candy makers used natural extracts and wine to enhance product appearance.
In 1856, William Henry Perkin discovered the first synthetic organic dye, called mauve.
Discoveries of similar dyes soon followed and they quickly became used to color foods, drugs, and cosmetics.
Because these dyes were first produced from by-products of coal processing, they were known as “coal-tar colors.”
The middle ages in Europe was a bland era, by comparison with feudalism, peasants were producing their own food and were not super concerned about food beautifying.
This changed, though, with the transition to the modern age: urbanization led to trade and the importation of spices and colors.
Color suddenly became very important, one of the first food laws in Augsburg, Germany (1531), for example, concerned spices and colorants and required saffron counterfeiters to be burned.
With the Industrial Revolution, people were dependent on food produced (and manufactured) by others.
The demand for food at a low cost, coupled with primitive chemistry and a lack of regulation, meant that food adulteration flourished.
Sellers would restore color to lesser-quality milk and foodstuffs.
None of the dyes used were actually tested for toxicity, which meant that people got sick, and actually died from these colorants (which were often heavy metal compounds).
In 2008 the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Washington, DC, petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban artificial food dyes because of their connection to behavioral problems in children.
Two years later a new CSPI report, Food Dyes, is “A Rainbow of Risks”.
They further conclude that the nine artificial dyes approved in the United States likely are carcinogenic, cause hypersensitivity reactions and behavioral problems, or are inadequately tested.
Is Food Dye Regulated By the Government?
In the US, The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 was created to combat the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors.
This Act reduced the permitted list of synthetic colors from 700 down to seven. Still, the adulteration of food continues for many years.
Synthetic dyes became available in the 1900s. Early artificial colors were called “coal-tar” colors because the base materials were derived from bituminous coal. Today, most synthetic coloring comes from petroleum (or crude oil).
The final products have been rigorously tested to ensure that they contain no traces of the original petroleum.
Seven dyes were initially approved under The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906; however, several have been de-listed and replaced.
Today, the Food and drug administration of different countries where food dyes are being regulated must approve every patch of certified coloring a manufacturer produces.
For example, European Food Safety Authority (EFAA) in Europe, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Nigeria, the General Administration of Customs, in China (GACC) in China, and Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in India. Etc
Types of Industrial Food Dye
Currently, there are six artificial colors generally permitted by health agencies (FDA, NAFDAC, and EFSA)
- Red No. 3 (Erythrosine): A cherry-red coloring commonly used in candy, popsicles, and cake-decorating gels.
- Red No. 40 (Allura Red): A dark red dye that is used in sports drinks, candy, condiments, and cereals.
- Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine): A lemon-yellow dye that is found in candy, soft drinks, chips, popcorn, and cereals.
- Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow): An orange-yellow dye that is used in candy, sauces, baked goods, and preserved fruits.
- Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue): A greenish-blue dye used in ice cream, canned peas, packaged soups, popsicles, and icings.
- Blue No. 2 (Indigo Carmine): A royal blue dye found in candy, ice cream, cereal, and snacks.
The three most popular food dyes are Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. These three make up 90% of all the food dyes used in developed countries like the United States.
Other food dyes are approved in some countries but banned in others. For example, Green No. 3, also known as Fast Green, is approved by the FDA in the US, but banned in Europe.
Quinoline Yellow, Carmoisine, and Ponceau are examples of food colorings allowed in the European Union but banned in the United States.
Food Dye Safety
Is Food Dye Harmful To Your Health?
1. May Damage Fertility Hormones
One 2021 study investigated the effects of Tartrazine and Erythrosine (commonly used food color) on the reproductive hormones and some pro-inflammatory agents and testicular genes in the testis of male Wistar rats.
The research thus concluded “Despite the desirable and amazing impact made in food, cosmetics, medicines, etc., by tartrazine and erythrosine, their buildup in the body can affect the testis by disrupting the normal state of its functional genes as well as tampering with the fertility hormone receptor genes, which may impair spermatogenesis(sperm production) hence leading to infertility. More so, their buildup may initiate inflammatory disease of the testis (orchitis)”
Related: 10 Facts about Fertility Drugs you don’t Know
2 May Cause Hyperactivity in Sensitive Children.
A pediatric allergist once claimed in 1973 that hyperactivity and learning problems in children were caused by artificial food colorings and preservatives in food.
At the time, there was very little science to back up his claim, but many parents adopted his philosophy.
The doctor introduced an elimination diet as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The diet eliminates all artificial food colorings, along with a few other artificial ingredients.
One of the earliest studies, published in 1978, found no changes in children’s behavior when they were given a dose of artificial food dyes.
Since then, several studies have found a small but significant association between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity in children.
One clinical study found that removing artificial food dyes from the diet, along with a preservative called sodium benzoate, significantly reduced hyperactive symptoms.
A small study found that 73% of children with ADHD showed a decrease in symptoms when artificial food dyes and preservatives were eliminated.
Another study found that food dyes, along with sodium benzoate, increased hyperactivity in both 3-year-olds and a group of 8- and 9-year-olds.
However, because these study participants received a mixture of ingredients, it is difficult to determine what caused the hyperactivity.
Tartrazine, also known as Yellow 5, has been associated with behavioral changes including irritability, restlessness, depression, and difficulty with sleeping
To be more precise, A report released in April 2021 by the state of California—with contributors from UC Berkeley and UC Davis—confirmed the long-suspected belief that the consumption of synthetic food dyes can cause hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral issues in some children.
What’s more, a 2004 analysis of 15 studies concluded that artificial food dyes do increase hyperactivity in children.
Yet it appears that not all children react the same way to food dyes. Researchers at Southampton University found a genetic component that determines how food dyes affect a child.
While effects from food dyes have been observed in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), some children seem much more sensitive to dyes than others.
Despite this, both the FDA and the EFSA have stated there is currently not sufficient evidence to conclude that artificial food dyes are unsafe.
Their regulatory agencies work on the premise that a substance is safe until proven harmful. However, there is certainly sufficient evidence to raise some concerns.
Interestingly, in 2009 the British government began encouraging food manufacturers to find alternative substances to color food.
As of 2010, in the UK a warning is required on the label of any food that contains artificial food.
The safety of artificial food dyes is highly controversial.
While old animal research on the carcinogenic effect of food colors may have shown no significant carcinogenic effect, however, numerous side effects and toxicity, in both medium and long terms, allergic reactions, and behavioral and neurocognitive effects have been related to their use.
One 2022 study reported that some dyes may contain cancer-causing contaminants.
Food dyes such as Erythrosine, Carmoisine, and Tartrazine are the leading causes of liver carcinogenesis.
Azo dyes and triphenylmethanes are the most common classes of illegally-added food dyes.
The toxic activity of azo dyes, which are widely used in industry, is a result of their metabolism. The enzyme-mediated azo reduction leads to the formation of active aromatic amines attacking DNA.
Intake of these agents in amounts higher than the advised daily intake (ADI) has been shown to have adverse effects in animal studies.
However, a clear understanding of the causal mechanisms that link food color and cancer is still evolving.
Another very recent review reported that some beverages and sweet processed food (confectioneries) contain unidentified colors including a textile dye which may pose health risks in high-dose consumption.
Therefore, the implementation of regulations and awareness programs of food colors for consumers and food manufacturers are highly recommended.
More human research is needed on the carcinogenic effect of food colors.
What about Blue 2 and Red 3 food due, are they cancerous?
An animal study on Blue 2 found a statistically significant increase in brain tumors in the high-dose group compared to the control groups, but the researchers concluded there was not enough evidence to determine whether Blue 2 caused the tumors.
Other studies on Blue 2 found no adverse effects.
Erythrosine, also known as Red 3, is the most controversial dye. Male rats given erythrosine had an increased risk of thyroid tumors.
Based on this research, the FDA issued a partial ban on erythrosine in 1990 but later removed the ban.
After reviewing the research, they concluded that the thyroid tumors were not directly caused by erythrosine.
In the US, Red 3 has mostly been replaced by Red 40, but it is still used in Maraschino cherries, candies, and popsicles.
Some Dyes May Contain Cancer-Causing Contaminants
While most food dyes did not cause any adverse effects in toxicity studies, there is some concern about possible contaminants in the dyes.
Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 may contain contaminants that are known cancer-causing substances.
Benzidine, 4-aminobiphenyl, and 4-amino azobenzene are potential carcinogens that have been found in food dyes.
These contaminants are allowed in the dyes because they are present in low levels, which are presumed to be safe.
Related: List of Foods Additives that Promote Cancer
Related: What’s tBHQ Preservative? Can it cause Cancer?
How Do You Avoid Food Dyes?
Well from the information you get today, it’s clear that food dye may pose some health risks not in children but also in adults.
As some food dyes have been found to impair sperm production, cause gut disease and increase inflammation in rats, there may be a probability that it could also have the same effect in humans.
However, the evidence to support this claim is weak. Human research is needed.
Based on the research currently available, it is unlikely that consuming food dyes will cause cancer.
Certain food dyes cause allergic reactions in some people, but if you do not have any symptoms of an allergy, there is no reason to eliminate them from your diet but have in mind that they add no nutrient value to your diet.
The claim about food dyes that has the strongest science to back it up is the connection between food dyes and hyperactivity in children.
Several studies have found that food dyes increase hyperactivity in children with and without ADHD, although some children seem to be more sensitive than others.
If your child has hyperactive or aggressive behavior, it may be beneficial to remove artificial food dyes from their diet.
The reason dyes are used in foods is to make food look more attractive. There is absolutely no nutritional benefit of food dyes.
Nevertheless, there is not enough evidence to support that everyone should be avoiding artificial food dyes.
That said, it always helps to eat healthy. The biggest sources of food dyes are unhealthy processed foods that have other negative effects on health.
Removing processed foods from your diet and focusing on healthy whole foods will improve your overall health and drastically decrease your intake of artificial food dyes in the process.
Healthy Alternatives
Always have this in mind “Healthy Whole Foods Are Naturally Free of Dyes”
The best way to remove artificial food dyes from your diet is to focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods.
Unlike processed foods, most whole foods are highly nutritious.
Here are a few healthy alternatives that are free from food dye:
Dairy and eggs: Milk, plain yogurt, cheese, eggs, cottage cheese.
Meat and poultry: Fresh, unmarinated chicken, beef, pork, and fish.
Nuts and seeds: Unflavored almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.
Fresh fruits and vegetables: All fresh fruits and vegetables.
Grains: Oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley.
Legumes: Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, navy beans, lentils.
If you want to avoid all dyes in your diet, while eating industrially processed foods, always read the label before you eat a food.
Although some manufacturers may clearly indicate all the dye used in the label. However, some seemingly healthy foods contain artificial food dyes.
Conclusion
Food dyes have shown some health risks in animal studies and clear evidence of hypersensitivity in children.
However, there is no conclusive evidence that food dyes are carcinogenic due to insufficient research.
Nevertheless, they may cause allergic reactions in some people and hyperactivity in sensitive children.
Most food dyes are found in unhealthy processed foods that should be avoided anyway.
Instead, focus your diet on nutritious whole foods, that’s the only sure way to avoid food dye.
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