Even though I don’t have any children yet, I like reading this Inhabitots blog. They have some interesting stuff once in a while. Some of the things they discuss are a little too green, organic, granola for me. But still, some articles are rather informative. This one caught my eye. I was chowing down on some Easter Jelly Beans and started reading this article. Which then lead me to read this and this. This table is also interesting.
Here are some interesting things I thought you might also find interesting:
-“Fake food dyes are found in just about everything grocers sell; from the expected, like jelly beans and neon juices, to the less expected such as salad dressing, frozen kids meals and granola bars.”
-“Avoid dyes: Look for items that are free from the following dyes. Blue 1, Blue 2, Citrus Red 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.”
-Health Risks:
- CSPI notes that the most commonly used food dyes, such as Yellow 5, Red 40, and six others, are made from petroleum and synthetic chemicals, which alone is bad enough.
- Known carcinogens are the major problem associated with synthetic food dyes. The three most widely used dyes, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are contaminated with carcinogens, says CSPI. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actively admits that Red 3 is a carcinogen, yet the FDA also approves its use in our food supply.
- Allergic reactions can occur for children exposed to synthetic food dye.
- Numerous studies show that synthetic dyes causehyperactivity in children. And mixtures of dyes have been shown to cause other behavioral impairments in children.
-“Numerous natural food colorings are available such as beet juice, beta-caramel, carotene, carrot juice, chlorophyll, elderberry juice, grape juice/skin, paprika extract, purple corn, purple sweet potato, red cabbage and turmeric.”
A little side note, something else rather disturbing: I had a patient who works at a pharmacy who told me she was talking with a mother of an 8 year old girl who said her daughter had already started her period. She also said there were other girls in her daughter’s 3rd grade class who had also gone through puberty. AT 8 YEARS OLD? So sad. She said it was because of all of the growth hormones in the food we eat. Scary. I asked my sister-in-law Rachel, who teaches 2nd grade, if she has noticed anything like this. Rachel said she has a few girls who are already developing breasts. At 7 years old. Unbelievable. They are still babies!
Thoughts on this stuff?
6 replies on “Food Dye is Everywhere”
Guess I’m going to have to settle for Yellow 19, Orange Q and Red 66…
hahaha I don’t know if those are real, Gino . . . sorry
drat. i was pretty happy that my peanut M&Ms didn’t have high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated anything in them, but they are full of food coloring.
and where were the growth hormones when i was growing up? we drank milk a lot and none of this happened to us. are they adding more growth hormone than they have in the past? i remember chelsea that was in your grade started her period in 4th grade, but i don’t know if this had anything to do with it.
haha jess, i am with you on the peanut m&m’s. there’s always something.
I think the hormones have just increased and are in more things. So not every single kid will develop early, but it is happening. And it’s more common. Yeah, she did start in 4th grade. Who knows the reason, though.
I actually was disgusted at my grocery cart this week. As I was checking out, with my husband in tow, I wanted to throw it ALL back. WHAT were we eating?!?!
This is the reason my sister became vegetarian. Well, she is also a huge animal activist. But, she didn’t like all the growth hormones in the food they were eating and feeding their 7 yr old daughter. She said they all feel so much better, and being vegetarian isn’t like it use to be. There are SO many options, even for those who still want the taste of meat. I’m thinking about it.
I don’t want my new baby boy to fill his body with this processed food and hormones. I love him too much.
Yep, following the WoW is best. Making your own food is best. Throwing in a few M&Ms will not give you cancer. The milk you drank did not have growth hormone in it. I would love to show you how to make any of your own stuff, like bread. I’ve been thinking about returning to making my own bread. Thanks, Gino. You should blog about making your bread.