FDA to Hold Hearing on Food Dyes and Childrens Behavior

[Guest guest]

http://www.feingold.org/enews/FDA-Hearin.html

This came from the Feingold Assocation. Synthetic food dyes affect several

children I know and I'm glad we may join the rest of the 1st world nations

in decreasing our use of them.

There were studies published in the New York Times last year about food dyes

and ADHD behaviors.

December 1, 2010

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), finally responding to the 2008

petition <http://www.cspinet.org/new/200806022.html> by the Center for

Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), has agreed to hold a hearing on food

dyes in March. See the Federal Register

announcement<http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-30187.pdf>dated

today.

This hearing is long overdue, but very welcome! Although Yellow 5, Red 40,

and other commonly used food dyes have long been shown in numerous clinical

studies to impair children’s behavior, the FDA has continued to dismiss the

mounting evidence against the dyes.

According to Dr. son, CSPI Executive Director, the continued

use of synthetic food dyes is hardly worth the

risk<http://www.cspinet.org/new/201006291.html>.

" What’s the benefit? " he says. " Junk food that’s even more appealing to

children than it already is? Why, when we’re medicating so many children for

hyperactivity, would we let food manufacturers worsen some children’s

problems? Behavioral problems aside, animal studies indicating that dyes

pose a cancer risk provide another reason for banning those chemicals. "

Fortunately, a few companies are adopting smarter policies even in the

absence of government action. Starbucks does not permit dyes in any of its

beverages or pastries, NECCO has switched to safer natural colorings for its

famous Wafers, and Frito-Lay is testing dye-free snack foods.

Europe has moved much more quickly to protect children from artificial dyes.

The British government has urged companies to stop using most dyes, and the

European Union requires a warning notice on most dyed foods. See

more<http://www.cspinet.org/new/200810221.html>.

As a consequence, Kellogg, Kraft, Mc’s, and other American companies

that do business in Europe use safe, natural colorings over there — but

harmful, synthetic petrochemicals over here.

We in the Feingold Association have been working with Dr. son on this

issue, and we plan to be at the FDA’s March meeting. I will fill you in on

details as I get them, so that perhaps many of you, too, can make yourselves

heard (and maybe seen).

We can optimistically hope that this is finally the beginning of the end of

synthetically dyed foods in the United States.