© Chris WalkerFood dyes, under federal scrutiny for decades, have been blamed for illnesses in humans
Food coloring is the reason glace cherries are red rather than beige and that children's tongues sometimes appear freakishly blue. But man-made dyes may do more than make processed food look vibrant and whimsical. Some blame the additives for triggering behavioral problems in youngsters.
Acting on research published in the
Lancet, the European Parliament last year began requiring products containing synthetic food colors to carry warning labels saying that "consumption may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a March hearing on whether food dyes adversely impact children's health. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, is asking the agency for a synthetic food-dye ban and to place warnings on products until the colors are removed.
The dyes are often used to enhance the appearance of sugary cereals, candies, sodas, fruit-flavored snacks, fast food and other products that are aimed at children and have little nutritional value, the CSPI said in a citizen's petition signed by 18 physicians and researchers. Since naturally derived alternatives exist, the continued use is hardly worth any potential risk, it said.
Comment: For more information, see:
MSG, the Secret (Killer) Behind the Savor
MSG: Is This Silent Killer Lurking in Your Kitchen Cabinets
Hold the MSG: Food Triggers for Epilepsy and Other Neurological Illnesses
MSG Lurks As A Slow Poison In Common Food Items Without Your Knowledge