The easiest way to avoid or reduce your exposure to chemical coloring is simply to avoid a lot of processed food. Check your gluten-free labels always.
FD&C on a label means the FDA allows the dyes to be used in food, drugs and cosmetics. Sometimes you’ll see FDA Red 40 or FD&C Red 40, so these are just 2 ways the labeling is used.
The FDA allows nine synthetic color additives to this date despite consumer advocacy groups showing mass evidence of the 2 dyes; Red 40 and Yellow 6 linked to hyperactivity, hence attention disorders.
Also, the term artificial colors means “dyes from plants and minerals”, not a synthetic source. Two of these are caramel (used in cola) and annatto extract from a tropical seed and used in some cheeses to make the color desired.
Click here to read Part 1 on how chemical food dyes are linked to hyperactivity.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at info (at) GlutenFreeHelp.info.
This is a cool picture!–A blue apple! It made my 2 1/2-year-old daughter Emma start giggling with delight when she saw it. I’m very excited to hear about this series. Boy, seeing a blue apple really makes your blood curdle–you really see how unnatural artificial coloring is.
Ew gross a blue apple! Reminds of those Gogurt packages. Blue yogurt! I wouldn’t eat that stuff in a million years but BOY do my daughters get excited when they see that stuff! I break their hearts telling them no, but I don’t care–my kids aren’t eaten BLUE yogurt!
Just seems like common sense to me that people would want to keep their kids away from artificial foods and flavorings, just as an intuitive response to these so-called “foods.” I think that we need to add nutrition as part of the curriculum with an emphasis on unprocessed whole foods as the best food to eat. People just aren’t educated about this!
I’m so glad you’re bringing awareness about this issue. I don’t usually comment but I just had to say, Hoorah, Tina! Love that you don’t just stick to celiac disease and gluten free topics but also comment on other extremely important health issues such as this.
People have warned me about this before, but to tell you the truth it seems so convenient to get pre-packed foods with food coloring sometimes and my kids get this stuff from their friends too, but I will try switching to some whole foods. I bet if I did more of my grocery shopping at the health food store I could find better snacks for them.
@Felicity you’re too funny! I also agree with @Joyce that it’s refreshing to get a blog now and then that’s just generally interesting. Plus just because you’re gluten free doesn’t mean you’re healthy! I meet GF people sometimes with TERRIBLE eating habits–a lot actually. They need your advice badly!
This is great because so many kids foods have this crap in them that I can’t believe it. I’ve had to deal with countless tantrums over how my daughter wants candy but I won’t let her have it (I’ll get her a smoothie instead though), but I don’t care, I never give in. This stuff is like poison.
Really wish the FDA would get a clue. Who are these people?
I’m glad you shared this over the summer when artificially-colored Popsicles are just about everywhere! I can’t believe how many kids eat BLUE popsicles….gross! I recommend making your own popsicles with 100% fruit juices.
http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/health-wellness/fda-declares-food-dyes-safe-for-kids-are-they.html You guys have to read this article. Do you know American companies have already changed their foods overseas so that they don’t use food coloring anymore but not here in the U.S.? Also cancer rates among children have increased almost 10% between ’92 and ’07…clearly something is amiss here!