Do you know what red dye is? Yes, of course, it is a food coloring. But what else do you know about it? Do you know that there is a controversy around him? According to some doctors, it is simply a benign additive, but parents have found that their children experience unhealthy results from consuming it.
So what is red dye? Red dye or Red 40, as it is commonly known, is an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved colorant that is added to a large number of foods. We often don’t even realize that much of our food is artificially colored. And it’s not just food; many medications are also colored.
How is it done? It is made from crude oil extracted from the ground in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.
Why is it added? It is used in the belief that it makes food and drugs more attractive. For example, people love to eat ripe red apples, strawberries, or other red fruits. Our minds are convinced that if a food or drug is red, it may also be delicious and good for us. Very often products in their original form may not be very appetizing and Red 40 is a very cost effective way to achieve a nice colour. Something that appeals to the consumer is very important.
It is safe? When it was first approved by the FDA, there were many fears that it could cause tumors and cancers. In fact, one scientist cited a study that showed an animal fed Red 40 will become seriously ill, and a combination of Red with other dyes or preservatives will kill it. It was later shown to not cause cancer, but I haven’t heard of any follow-up studies proving or disproving the problem in animals.
But doesn’t the FDA say it’s safe? It does, but it also said that Viox was safe (it causes heart attacks and strokes), and Paxil was safe (it caused increased anxiety in adolescents, leading to increased risk of suicide), and many others; all of which have been withdrawn from the market. Remember, the FDA is a very underfunded organization. It is based on the fees it charges to test the companies’ products. With this money it hires contractors and in many cases relies on the companies’ own testing procedures.
Does Red 40 cause problems in children? Many doctors insist that any changes in behavior are not due to this dye. They point out the controversy over sugar. Many parents will attest that their children will become extremely hyperactive after eating too much. These doctors have said that there is no evidence that sugar has any adverse effects. And just like with sugar, many parents see changes in their children after eating a product containing Red 40. After experiencing the results, some doctors are finally taking notice.
Can the red dye really affect children like this? According Dr Robert Needlman “about 1 in 100, who were clearly much more active and out of control” when consuming an artificial diet that included Red 40. But most of the evidence is anecdotal. There are many parents who can tell you what you can do to their children. I can tell you what it does to my son. He has some of the reactions these parents describe.
What does “out of control” mean? Children can have many different reactions to Red 40, including increased tantrums, increased hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, uncontrollable crying and screaming, kicking, nervousness, and other things that parents can attest to. They may physically get headaches or feel sick after eating anything that contains it. Adults can also feel sick or get migraines.
How can we tell if a child is having a reaction to Red 40? This is easy. Observe your child’s normal behavior. Do you have tantrums? Look how violent he is. Take a look at any of the other “out of control” behaviors listed above. Then feed him a juice containing Red 40; there are several different ones on the market. Reactions can occur in a matter of minutes. Have your usual tantrums intensified? Is it getting more violent? They get sick? Needlman believes that this type of test is safe. Seeing how my son reacts, I’m not sure I completely agree with this.
Why don’t people believe all this? Probably because they haven’t seen any “scientific evidence” to support these issues. Most of what we read are anecdotes told by parents or people who have experienced this firsthand. People’s initial reaction is to blame parents for “bad parenting” or misinterpreting “normal” events for children. The problem is that they haven’t even observed a child (or adult) reacting to Red 40. When I describe my son’s reaction to people, everyone tends to make fun of me until they actually see it happen to him; then they understand.