Transcript ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORING

By: Courtney Bonilla and Lauren Stys
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Food dye is artificial food coloring that is generally
used to change the color of a food or drink.
Have any of you heard that artificial food dyes are
unnecessary and should be avoided?
“Americans consume five times as much food dye
as they did 30 years ago according to the Food
and Drug Administration.” (“The Dyes Have It” par. 1)
Food dye is a common substance that is
consumed daily by children everywhere.
Food dye can be found in snacks or foods such as
waffles, chips, candy, cereal, and juice, etc.
There was a boy, 6 years old, his parents
could not calm him down from tantrums
lasting two hours long. He had a hard time
focusing and controlling his melt downs.
Unexplained outbursts led to doctors
assuming he needed prescriptions to
control his hyperactivity and emotions. The
parents were not buying that their son
needed medication, nor did they want to
get their young child to experience other
side effects from the medicine. They held
on to hope as maybe there were other
answers out there in order to help their son.
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Food dye has been said to be linked to hyperactivity and
behavioral problems in some children.
A pediatric allergist by the name of Dr. Ben Feingold,
practicing out of San Francisco, claims that when he
removed food dyes from his patient’s diets, there were vast
improvements for many of the children. (“Diet & ADHD” par. 4)
Diagnosing children with hyperactivity has increasingly
become the answer to many parents, by doctors, who are
trying to help a child become more attentive and able to
control their outbursts.
Parents can be devastated by their child’s behavior, but little
do they know that a change in a diet can make all the
difference, benefiting both the child and their parents.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww
qrdt4A8Uk
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In a randomized trial, 153 three-year olds
and 144 eight to nine year olds, were
discovered to have increased
hyperactivity when consuming artificial
food coloring.(“Are Artificial Food Colors to Dye For?”
par. 4)
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Researchers constructing this trial
showed that food dye can result in
hyperactivity and many children can
benefit from eliminating consumption of
food coloring.
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Food dyes are simply used for “the look.”
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The main purpose for color additives is to seem more
inviting and appealing, especially to children. Stated by
the Executive Director, of the Centre for Science in the
Public Interest, Michael Jacobson, "It masks the
absence of real food.” (“Secret Shame” par. 2)
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Let’s face it, how often do children choose a piece of
toast over a pop tart, not very often. The color and
sprinkles on a pop tart look “more tasty.”
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Society often has the need for aesthetic, often
choosing what they eat by whether it “looks” good or
not, not whether it is good for your health.
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When foods are processed, they often loose their color,
and food dyes can make the food look “attractive.”
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Factually, without food dyes, products can still be
produced, as the food coloring is strictly cosmetic and
used to appeal consumers. (“Are Artificial Food Colors
to Dye For?” par. 2)
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Though the United States continues to use artificial food coloring, the
European Parliament approved a warning label that stated “May have an
adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” (“The Dyes Have It.”)
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This caused many companies to remove the dyes altogether so that they did
not have to include such a label on their packaging of their products.
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“British arms of General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft, Mars, and McDonalds, for
example, use few or no dyes.” (“The Dyes Have It.” par. 1)
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For example, McDonald’s Sundaes.
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It is unfortunate that other multinational companies are taking action, yet
here in the United States the consumption of artificial food color continues to
grow.
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1. Others claim that there is not
enough evidence to support the
fact that food dye is directly
linked to hyperactivity (“The
Dyes Have it” par. 7)
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CSPI Executive Director, Michael
Jacobson states, that people who
hold onto the idea that dyes do not
impair behavior, they are not up to
date with research, and the
skyrocketing of diagnosing children
with ADHD is growing.
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Many well-known companies also
argue that Food dye is not linked to
hyperactivity, when in reality their
main concern is more often profit.
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When producing products, it is much
cheaper to use artificial food dyes, so
a citizen’s health may not be their
priority.
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2. Some say, parents who
have an issue with their
child consuming artificial
dye should purchase
products from specialty
stores that exclude food
dyes in their ingredients.
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Many parents or
guardians of children
have not been educated
about the effects of
artificial food dyes on
children.
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By having warning labels on food containing artificial food dye,
parents will be informed about the ingredient their child may be
consuming on a daily basis.
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Removing this ingredient can benefit both the child and the parent.
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Food coloring is cosmetic, and not necessary in producing foods.
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Children may suffer from uncontrollable tantrums, increased
hyperactivity, and may put a strain on relationships by consuming
these dyes.
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What's the next step?
Britain has stepped up on the issue, here in the United States, it is all
about spreading the word amongst parents and making it well
known, so together they can make a difference, for the well being
of children.
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“Are Artificial Food Colors to Dye For? EN Sheds Light on a Colorful Topic." Environmental
Nutrition 32.8 (2009): 7. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24
Nov. 2009.
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"Diet & ADHD." Nutrition Action Health Letter 35.3 (2008): 2. Health Source:
Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009.
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"The Dyes Have It." Nutrition Action Health Letter 35.8 (2008): 10. Health Source:
Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009.
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"Secret Shame." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 179.2 (2008): 131. Health
Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwqrdt4A8Uk