People may have knee-jerk reactions to the list of food dyes our Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ,is banning, but let’s look at why he’s doing this. Once we have the facts, we’re likely to think the FDA hasn’t been on the ball for a long time, and they would be right.

Initially, children may react to the loss of these food dyes, not knowing they may have been silently working insults in their developing bodies. Some of their upset will be because they’ve been quietly ingesting things that may have made them addicted, messed with their immunity and even contributed to some of the health issues and/or symptoms, they may have been having.

I dealt with food dyes in “A Rainbow of Toxins in Our Children’s Food,” and “Yellow Isn’t Very Mellow,” and you can scroll back through the posts to view them. This time, we’re taking a deeper dive into the physical challenges other dyes contribute to life.

Here’s a list of dyes that are being removed. Some of them will have FD&C before the color. That stands for Federal Food and Cosmetic Act. It means these chemicals have been “approved” by the Food and Drug Administration, (FDA). It also suggests to those in the know, that they have not been doing their job for some time and may have caught someone you know in the tangled web of their supposed “rationale” for approving them.

FD&C Blue # 1, 2.  FD&C Green #. 3, FD&C Red #. 40, FD&C Yellow #.5 and 6. Plans are to later include, Orange B, and Citrus Red #. 2

As I share with you what these food dyes do in the body, I suggest you take notes and see how they overlap on different body systems. This is because many of them can accumulate in the body and some have a synergistic effect with other dyes. I’ll shorten them to color and number.

https://www.isitbadforyou.com/questions/is-blue-1-dye-bad-for-you

Blue, # 1. Allergies, changes in behavior, digestive problems and possible short term reactions. Long term, it becomes more intense. It can increase the risk of cancer, create neurotoxins which are poisonous substances that can affect the nerves and brain, and have a negative effect on the glands that affect metabolism, (translated that may mean because the thyroid doesn’t work well, the person may accumulate fat.) 

Where is this one found? Certain candies, some dairy products plus colored beverages, and desserts, and even body care products, such as shampoo and soap. Are you ready for this one? It can be in certain pills people consume. Give credit to the pharmaceutical industry.

Blue # 2 is known as Indigo Carmine. It’s a very dark blue and may be found in food, cosmetics, supplements, beverages and medications. It’s formulated by using sodium hydroxide on a form of indigo carmine. Perhaps you didn’t know that this chemical is also known as lye, a very caustic substance

It’s in certain cereals, sports and energy drinks, some ice cream and sorbets, candies, Maraschino cherries, some sausages and Pet Foods. It’s also used in 9 medications that people commonly take, and three types of products for children!

https://www.rupahealth.com/post/indigo-carmine-blue-2-dye-safety-uses-and-side-effects

Green # 3 is not used as often as other dyes and may be combined with one of the yellows which are quite toxic. It’s all about the right shade of color to entice you. This one is used more commonly in different cosmetics, but is also in candy, canned veggies, some cereals, jello, salad dressings, cereal and deserts. However, the list of personal care products is probably double this. It includes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, hair gel, lipstick, makeup, nail polish, supplements and medications.

https://www.functionalnutritionanswers.com/fdc-green-3/

The European Union has banned a number of these food dyes and this is one of them. If they ban an item, it’s because they’ve done very rigorous testing and made a careful decision. They may base the decision on such things as hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions, or being linked to potentially increased incidents of cancer.

The FDA, however, is much more lax about what they permit. Often dyes are allowed simply because a certain company claims they are safe with little or no testing or research to back up the claim

Red # 40, also known as Allura Red AC, is made from petroleum. (Yum!) Some studies link it to ADHD and hyperactivity. This dye has been implicated in causing damage to the DNA, inflaming the gut and damaging the microbiome. Colorectal diseases are occurring in younger people (EOCRC or Early Onset Colorectal Cancer). 

There’s a growing suspicion that consuming the SAD (Sad American Diet) is a possible culprit in the growing numbers of these dysfunctions. It includes a heavy helping of junk food and snackie-wackies.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10502305/

This dye is one of the most popular with food companies. It includes most of the junk food already listed plus popsicles, some protein powders, spices, sauces, salty snacks and baked goods. For a full list, see https://health.clevelandclinic.org/red-dye-40 or the one above.

The government document goes into more depth of concern over the detrimental effects of Red # 40. It can mess with the microbiome in the GI tract, which is being revealed as a key component to our state of health or disorder. It also can elevate the level of cytokines in the body. These chemicals are responsible for inflammation which is often the precursor of a whole list of disorders, including pain which more people are experiencing with increasing levels of discomfort.

In research tests, perhaps the most concerning finding was damage to the DNA. Although some of the studies were done on mice, they were chosen because of certain similarities to humans. The number of mice with damage in the colon was discomforting, to say the least. Damage included less good bacteria and increased bad, negative changes in the lower colon and rectum, gene mutations there and suggested an increase in inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) which leads to an increased cancer risk.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10502305/

I covered the dangers of yellow dyes in the second post I mentioned, so I won’t revisit it here. However, the subject of food additives is far from over. Titanium dioxide is a white dye that creates its own set of body changes.

It can often be contaminated with lead, arsenic or mercury. All of them are dangerous beyond anything that we want to put in our mouths. It’s found in junk food, coffee creamers, chewing gum, and chocolates. It helps increase shelf-life. It may be in some lipsticks and toothpaste which suggests a possibility for its being swallowed. 

Again, the EU sees this as a no-no additive. Their concerns included potential inflammation and the question of nervous system toxicity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (ARC) listed titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen. Some animal research indicated that it could accumulate in the liver, spleen and kidneys. Basically, there needs to be more research into the safety of this substance.

In studies, children were more likely to consume this by eating sweets, particularly those with white icing

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/titanium-dioxide-in-food#uses

I hope that my research is causing you to become concerned about what’s in your food. Perhaps you read labels now. Maybe you cut back on sweets and junk food. Any changes you make are likely to help lighten the toxic load your body has to endure because of our many exposures.

It takes work to stay healthy these days, but the results are well worth the effort.

Be healthy, friends.

Nancy Pidutti, PhD, Author, Chaplain