For commercial reasons, food manufacturers are adding toxic food colorings to our foods. The European Union recently placed regulations on labeling food dyes to alert consumers of health risks, but the United States has not followed suit.
According to the Food Freedom Network, below are some of the most common toxic food dyes used today:
1) Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue) - An unpublished study suggests that Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue) causes kidney tumors in mice.
Blue #1 is used in: Baked goods, beverages, desert powders, candies, cereal, drugs, and other products.
2) Blue #2 (Indigo Carmine) - Blue #2 (Indigo Carmine) causes tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rates.
Blue #2 is used in: Colored beverages, candies, pet food, and other foods and drugs.
3) Citrus Red #2 - Citrus Red #2 is toxic to rodents at modest levels and causes tumors of the urinary bladder and possibly other organs.
Citrus Red #2 is used in: Skins of Florida oranges
4) Green #3 (Fast Green) - Green #3 (Fast Green) has caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats.
Green #3 is used in: Drugs, personal care products, cosmetics, candies, beverages, ice cream, sorbet, and externally applied cosmetics.
5) Red #3 (Erythrosine) - Red #3 (Erythrosine) was recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs.
Red #3 is used in: Sausage casings, oral medication, maraschino cherries, baked goods, and candies.
6) Red #5 - Red #5 was banned for a very long time because it was suspected that it made children hyperactive. Red #5 belongs to a class of chemicals called "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons," which studies suggest are carcinogens. But since these chemicals only cause cancer when injected, not ingested, the FDA keeps them legal.
7) Red #40 (Allura Red) - Red #40 (Allura Red) is the most widely used and consumed dye. It may accelerate the appearance of immune-system tumors in mice. It also causes allergy like reactions in some consumers and might trigger hyperactivity in children.
Red #40 is used in: Beverages, bakery goods, dessert powders, candies, cereals, foods, drugs, and cosmetics.
8) Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) - Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) causes hypersensitivity reactions and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children.
Yellow #5 is used in: Pet foods, numerous bakery goods, beverages, dessert powders, candies, cereals, gelatin desserts, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
9) Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow) - Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow) causes adrenal tumors in animals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions.
Yellow #6 is used in: Colored bakery goods, cereals, beverages, dessert powders, candies, gelatin desserts, sausage, cosmetics and drugs.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends, "Because colorings are used almost solely in foods of low nutritional value (candy, soda pop, gelatin desserts, bakery, etc.), you should simply avoid all artifically colored foods."
To download the full copy of "Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks" from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, go to http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf
Another alternative: You can purchase plant-based natural food colors that are prepared in concentrations that are easy to use. While they may not match the same hues as artificial colors, they are actually colors found in real foods.
