Many studies have shown that food dyes can impair children’s behavior, but until now the amounts of dyes in packaged foods has been a secret. Research by Purdue University scientists, published in the 2014 journal Clinical Pediatrics, reports on the dye content of scores of breakfast cereals, candies, baked goods, and other foods. According to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, the findings are disturbing, especially since the amounts of dyes found in even single servings of numerous foods are even higher than the levels used in some clinical trials.
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Research shows that dyes can cause hyperactivity and impair learning in children and have produced immune system tumors in mice.
General Mills’ Trix cereal has 36.4 milligrams ofYellow 6, Blue 1, and Red 40. Fruity Cheerios had 31 mg of food dyes, also some combination of Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 1. Of all the cereals tested, the one with the most artificial dyes was Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries, with 41 mg.
Skittles and M&M’s, which are dyed with Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40, had the highest levels found in candies. Skittles Original had 33.3 mg per serving; M&M’s Milk Chocolate had 29.5 mg per serving.
The most widely used dye, Red 40, contains p-Cresidine, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says is “reasonably anticipated” to be a human carcinogen, meaning they have the potential to cause cancer. It is important to note that the findings saw the harmful effects from subjects who consumed 10% or higher of red 40 in their daily diet.
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So what does that mean? That means a few drinks with the food coloring doesn’t hurt, but those of us whose drinks and foods are mainly artificially colored, we need to cut back…now.
Here are some of the drinks with the most Red 40 in them:
– V8 Splash Strawberry Kiwi
– Bacardi Mixers Strawberry Daiquiri
– Hi-C Boppin Berry
– Hi-C Fruit Punch
– Minute Maid Orange Soda
– Schweppes Grape Diet Ginger Ale
– Schweppes Grape Ginger Ale
– Schweppes Raspberry Diet Ginger Ale
– Schweppes Raspberry Ginger Ale
– Sunkist Orange Soda
– Gatorade Fierce Grape
– Gatorade Fierce Berry
– Gatorade Frost Riptide Rush
– Gatorade Fruit Punch
– Gatorade Passion Fruit
– Hawaiian Punch (original)
– Hawaiian Punch Fruit Punch
– Country Time Pink Lemonade mix
– Crystal Light Raspberry Ice drink
– Crystal Light Ice Tea mix
– Crystal Light Pink Lemonade mix
– Crystal Light Raspberry Ice mix
– Kool-Aid Mega Mountain Cherry Berry
– Kool-Aid Grape… (list continued on next page)
Kool-Aid Slammin Strawberry Kiwi
Kool-Aid Tropical Punch
Tang Fruit Frenzy
Lipton Brisk Iced Tea
Nestle Quick Strawberry
Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit & Tangerine Juice
Mountain Dew Code Red
Mountain Dew Diet Code Red
Pepsi Blue
Tropicana Twister Orange/Cranberry
On the flip side, here are some common products that are AFC-free or include natural dyes include:
For more on your favorite food and what it does to your body, click here.
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