Foods w/ artificial dyes get warning labels in Europe

[Guest guest]

Maybe our FDA will follow suit?

http://cspinet.org/new/201007201.html

Products with Yellow 5, Red 40, Other Dyes " May Have an Adverse Effect on

Activity and Attention in Children "

July 20, 2010

WASHINGTON—Starting today in the European Union, most foods that contain

artificial food dyes must bear warning labels stating that the food " may have an

adverse effect on activity and attention in children. " As a practical matter,

it's unclear exactly how many foods will have to use that language on labels,

since dyes were never as widely used in Europe as in the United States. Also,

the British government asked companies to remove most dyes by last December

31st. The Center for Science in the Public Interest says it hopes the European

labeling rule gets the attention of officials at the Food and Drug

Administration, which to date has not shown interest in protecting American

consumers from the controversial dyes, as well as American companies—including

those that are not using dyes in Europe.

Companies should replace Red 40, Yellow 5 and other synthetic dyes with natural

colorings like these. British consumers enjoy food products free of most food

dyes, but the same can't be said for Americans.

Synthetic food dyes have been suspected of triggering behavior problems in

children since the 1970s, when Dr. Ben Feingold, a San Francisco allergist,

reported that his patients improved when their diets were changed. Numerous

controlled studies conducted over the next three decades proved that some

children's behavior is worsened by artificial dyes. A 2004 meta-analysis

concluded that artificial dyes affect children's behavior, and two recent

studies funded by the British government found that mixtures of dyes (as well as

the preservative sodium benzoate) adversely affect kids' behavior.

In 2008, CSPI filed a regulatory petition that called on the FDA to ban dyes

because of the problems documented in children.

" At this point, American food manufacturers and regulators alike should be

embarrassed that we're feeding kids foods with chemicals that have such a

powerfully disruptive impact on children's behavior, " said CSPI executive

director F. son. " European officials are taking the issue much more

seriously, and are moving toward a safer food supply as a result. "

Because the FDA hasn't encouraged food manufacturers to switch to safer natural

colorings, many American food companies use the chemicals in the United States

products but not in the U.K. equivalents. For example, the topping for a

Mc's Strawberry Sundae sold in the United States contains Red 40.

In the U.K., the topping's color comes from strawberries. Representative Louise

Slaughter, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the only microbiologist

serving in Congress, has written the FDA twice expressing concern about the

widespread use of artificial dyes in food.

" This is a sensible policy and a smart move to help protect the health and well

being of children in Europe, " Slaughter said. " For too long, studies have raised

questions about the impact food dyes are having on the development of children

and the possible link between dyes and behavior. I have been troubled by the

lack of solid data on this issue for more than a decade. It's my hope that the

Food and Drug Administration reviews the abundance of science on this issue and

considers implementing a similar restriction or outright ban. "

Besides being linked to behavior problems in children, food dyes are also

inadequately tested and may pose cancer risks as well, according to a CSPI

report—Food Dyes: Rainbow of Risks—published last month.