All the health risks of the 8 food dyes the FDA is banning including cancer and behavioral issues
The hateful eight?The US Food and Drug Administration announced a plan Tuesday to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic food dyes from America’s food supply in the coming months.“Food dye is just a no-brainer.Nobody wants to eat petroleum.
Everybody knows there’s enough science out there that we know it’s terrible for you.It causes health problems but also behavioral problems,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.said at a Tuesday news conference.The FDA already banned the dye known as Red No.
3 in January after it was shown to cause cancer in lab rats.A deadline was set to remove Red No.
3 from food by January 2027 and from medications by January 2028.FDA commissioner Dr.Martin Makary said the agency is requesting food companies remove Red No.
3 sooner than these deadlines.Kennedy has long targeted artificial dyes found in candy, cereals, sports drinks and processed snacks.The FDA plans to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings — Citrus Red No.
2 and Orange B — in the coming months.The other six would be removed from the food supply by the end of 2026.Here’s a look at the health concerns surrounding the eight artificial dyes on the chopping block.Also known as Brilliant Blue FCF, Blue 1 is derived from petroleum to give foods such as M&Ms and Takis a blue hue.An unpublished study on mice suggested a potential link between Blue 1 and kidney tumors, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.The nonprofit watchdog has been calling for more Blue 1 testing, as a preliminary test tube study raised questions about its possible effects on nerve cells.Blue 2, also known as indigo carmine or indigotine, mimics the color and properties of plant-based indigo dye in products like Skittles and blueberry Pop-Tarts.Research indicates a higher occurrence of certain tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats exposed to Blue 2.“Blue No.
2 cannot be considered safe for human consumption,” ...