Group Claims Food Colorings Cause Behavior Problems in Children
A consumer advocacy group claims that eight artificial colorings in food may cause hyperactivity and behavior problems in some children. They have called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban their use.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says controlled studies conducted over three decades have shown that children’s behavior can be worsened by some artificial dyes. They say the British government is also pressuring food manufacturers to switch to safer colorings.
The colorings the center seeks to ban are: Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6.
The FDA has consistently disputed the center’s assertion for years, releasing a brochure on its website in 2004 begging the question: "Do additives cause childhood hyperactivity?"
The FDA’s response: "No. Although this hypothesis was popularized in the 1970′s, well-controlled studies conducted since then have produced no evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children.”
“Color additives undergo safety reviews prior to approval for marketing and samples of each artificial coloring are tested,” said FDA Spokeswoman Julie Zawisza.
She said the agency reviewed one of the studies that the center cites in its petition calling for a ban and found that there was no reason to change its conclusion that that the ingredients are safe for the general population.
Zawisza also noted that the European Food Safety Agency has a similar view.
Dyes are used in countless foods and are sometimes used to simulate the color of fruits or vegetables. The additives are particularly prevalent in the cereals, candies, sodas, and snack foods pitched to kids.
"The purpose of these chemicals is often to mask the absence of real food, to increase the appeal of a low-nutrition product to children, or both," said the center’s executive director, Michael F. Jacobson.
 "Who can tell the parents of kids with behavioral problems that this is truly worth the risk?"
The center’s petition asks that the FDA require a warning label on foods with artificial dyes while it considers their request to ban the dyes outright.
“The overwhelming majority of scientific evidence confirms the safety of certified food dyes,” said Robert Brackett, chief science officer for the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
Brackett said, based on these findings, there is no need for consumers to alter their purchasing and eating habits. "They and their children can safely enjoy food products containing these food colors."
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