Latest news with #ElizabethDunford
Time Magazine
07-07-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
Food Dyes Are Lurking in Surprising Places
Synthetic dyes are in far more foods in the U.S. than hot red candies and electric blue freezer pops. They lurk in a huge variety of foods and beverages—even ones that don't scream "food coloring." A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics shows just how prevalent the dyes are. Using a large database of foods sold in the U.S., researchers analyzed their labels for seven synthetic dyes, almost all of which are derived from petroleum. Currently, nine synthetic dyes are permitted in what we eat and drink. (The FDA banned one, Red Dye No. 3, in Jan. 2025, and is in the process of revoking authorization for two others, Orange B and Citrus Red No. 2; all synthetic dyes are targeted to be phased out of the U.S. food supply.) In addition to finding these dyes in brightly colored processed foods, the researchers also found them in more muted foods like blueberry bagels, taco shells, carbonated drinks, and hot dog buns. Overall, they were present in about 1 out of every 5 foods and beverages. '[Finding it in] plain hot dog buns was shocking to me,' says Elizabeth Dunford, who led the study and is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina's Gillings Global School of Public Health and a member of the George Institute for Global Health at the University of New South Wales. 'I don't think these are on the radar of the average consumer.' Read More: The 9 Most Underrated Healthy Foods The health risks of consuming synthetic dyes are not entirely clear, but studies in animals show they can damage DNA, contribute to overactivity of the immune system, and cause cancer. There is still not enough data exploring how these dyes can affect people, but researchers are exploring potential links between them and hyperactivity and neurobehavioral issues in children. Dunford says that given their prevalence in the U.S. food and beverage market, 'we do need new safety studies.' In April 2025, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would begin to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes in the food supply by the end of 2026 and replace them with natural alternatives. The agencies are also revoking approval for two food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—and plan to approve four new natural colorings for food. Kennedy said HHS would also work with the National Institutes of Health to conduct deeper studies on how food additives affect children's development. Currently, U.S. regulatory bodies categorize synthetic dyes as 'safe when they are used in accordance with FDA regulations,' which dictate which types of foods can contain them and in what amounts. But some states have taken stronger steps to warn consumers about their potential health risks. In 2023, California passed legislation to ban four additives from food sold in the state as well as in school nutrition programs by 2027. In March 2025, West Virginia enacted similar legislation targeting foods provided through school nutrition programs as well as food sold in the state. In June, Texas passed a law requiring warning labels on foods containing any of the more than 40 additives or dyes in foods, starting in 2027. Read More: Why Am I Sweating More Than I Used To? The warning labels are similar to those found on some foods in Europe that contain synthetic dyes or additives as a way for consumers to be aware of their exposure, even though the definitive studies on health effects have not yet been conducted. It's an effective way to alert consumers to potential harms and allow them to make more informed decisions about what they eat, says Dunford. 'The fact that there is a potential risk could make consumers take a different approach,' she says. Food manufacturers are also addressing synthetic dyes. J. M. Smucker Co. committed to removing synthetic food colorings from its products, such as its sugar-free fruit spreads, ice cream toppings and some Hostess products, by 2027. Kraft-Heinz also pledged to stop using synthetic dyes in any new products and to phase them out of existing products by 2027. A spokesperson for the company said Kraft removed artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from its Mac & Cheese in 2016. General Mills said it would remove these dyes from cereals and foods provided to U.S. schools by summer 2026, and Hershey, ConAgra, PepsiCo, and Mars have also committed to taking synthetic dyes out of their food products. Such moves should help lift some of the burden off of consumers, who until this point have had to check labels and educate themselves about the presence of dyes in food and beverages. Dunford notes that some companies also sell two versions of the same product—one made with synthetic dyes and one without—so it's up to the consumer to distinguish between the two. 'Consumers shouldn't have to do that,' she says, which is why warning labels could be a better way to educate people about where synthetic dyes may be hiding.
UPI
25-06-2025
- Health
- UPI
Study: 1 in 5 U.S. food, drink products contain synthetic dyes
Synthetic food dyes are added to 1 in 5 packaged foods and drinks sold by top U.S. food manufacturers, a new study says. Photo by Adobe Stock/Zilong Zhang/HealthDay News Synthetic food dyes are added to 1 in 5 packaged foods and drinks sold by top U.S. food manufacturers, a new study says. The most common dye was Red 40, which was present in 1 out of 7 (14%) products, according to the paper published Wednesday in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Products containing synthetic dyes also had a much higher average total sugar content compared to products without synthetic dyes, suggesting that companies are using synthetic food dyes to market sweet foods and beverages," lead researcher Elizabeth Dunford said in a journal news release. She's a nutrition consultant with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Gillings Global School of Public Health. Red 40 is among eight synthetic dyes that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to remove from the American food supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in April it was moving to revoke authorization for the dyes Citrus Red 2 and Orange B, and would work with industry to eliminate Red 40, Green 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2 from the food supply by the end of 2026. "These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children's health and development," Kennedy said in an April news release. "That era is coming to an end." The new study shows how widespread these dyes have become at the supermarket, researchers said. For the study, researchers evaluated the ingredients in nearly 39,800 grocery store products produced by the top 25 U.S. food manufacturers, using a database that represents more than 80% of products sold in America. Children are more likely to be exposed to these dyes, results show. About 28% of products in the top five food categories marketed to children contained synthetic dyes, compared with 11% in the remaining categories. Those categories included confections, sugary beverages, ready-to-eat meals, breakfast cereals and baked goods. Sports drinks (79%), beverages made from concentrates (71%) and confections (54%) were the products most likely to contain synthetic dyes, researchers found. Carbonated beverages (30%), confections (26%) and sports drinks (14%) represented the lion's share of products containing synthetic dyes purchased by Americans. "We included sales data in our analysis of synthetic dye exposure, which may help to inform regulatory policies in this area," Dunford said. "Although certain food categories may contain more products with synthetic dyes, it is also important to consider what foods consumers are buying, as even food categories with smaller proportions of synthetic dyes may be purchased and consumed in significant amounts and thus contribute more to overall dietary intake of dyes," she added. On average, products with synthetic dyes also contained 141% more total sugar compared to offerings without the dyes, researchers said. But products with synthetic dyes had lower levels of sodium and saturated fat. "There are a number of policy options to limit dye exposure, including bans and warning labels," researcher Thomas Galligan said in a news release. He's principal scientist for food additives and supplements at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C. "Companies can also voluntarily reduce the use of synthetic dyes in their products," he added. "Our results showing a range in companies' proportional use of dyes in many food categories suggests that reduction in use is readily feasible." More information The Center for Science in the Public Interest has more on the history of synthetic food dyes in the United States. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
One in five U.S. food and beverage products is made with synthetic dyes
Odds are, something in your pantry is colored with petroleum. Synthetic dyes — which give fruit snacks their bright colors and cereals their rainbow crunch — are embedded into the everyday foods that fill grocery store shelves, often in ways consumers don't realize. However, concern over their health effects has been growing in recent years, fueled by mounting evidence that certain synthetic dyes may harm children's long-term health. A new study shows that the use of these chemicals in the manufacturing of foods and beverages in the U.S. is more widespread than many might expect. Nearly 1 in 5 food items and beverages sold in the U.S. contain synthetic dyes, and many of them are commonly marketed to children. For many Americans, synthetic dyes such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 have become invisible staples of their diet. These petroleum-derived additives are commonly added to processed food and beverages to increase visual appeal and maintain color consistency. However, emerging research has made it clear that they also increase the risk of a range of adverse neurobehavioral effects — to which children are especially susceptible. A national study published Tuesday in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics looked at nearly 40,000 products produced by the top 25 U.S. food and beverage manufacturers, and found that synthetic food dyes were present in 19% of them. The study also determined that products using synthetic dyes were significantly more likely to be high in added sugars and low in nutritional quality. Even more concerning, researchers found that 28% of the products in categories most commonly marketed to children, including breakfast cereals, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages, contained synthetic dyes. Although the study focuses on the prevalence of synthetic dyes in U.S. food and beverages, Elizabeth Dunford, a lecturer at the University of New South Wales and co-author of the study, noted that its findings reinforce concerns among parents and public health experts about the potential neurological and behavioral effects of these additives. A 2021 assessment from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that these additives can 'cause or exacerbate neurobehavioral problems in children.' Similarly, a 2022 review found that 52% of studies found a significant association between synthetic dye consumption and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, both those with and without existing behavioral disorders. These health concerns are not limited to behavioral problems. Red 3, for example, has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory rats, and Yellow 5 has been associated with allergic reactions in some individuals. However, despite decades of concern, current U.S. Food and Drug Administration registrations are still based on studies performed 35 to 50 years ago. Read more: The FDA knew long ago that red dye No. 3 causes cancer. Why did it take so long to ban it? In the recent study, the most common dyes that Dunford and her team found were Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1, appearing in 14%, 11%, and 11% of products, respectively. Synthetic dyes were found in such products as blueberry bagels, guacamole, corn chips and hot dog buns — items that consumers might not expect them. 'Even as an educated person, I've been tricked,' Dunford said. 'Consumers can be misled … when there are all these claims on the front of the pack that say 'healthy' or 'made with real fruit juice,' but it still has dyes.' The study found that foods and beverages containing synthetic dyes, on average, had 141% more sugar than dye-free products. The correlation between sugar and synthetic dyes was even more pronounced when it came to products marketed to kids: foods and beverages in the five categories most heavily marketed to children had a mean total sugar content of 42.6 grams per 100 grams — 264% higher than comparable products in other categories. This marketing strategy, which pairs bright colors with high sugar content, may be part of the reason these foods are so appealing to kids. But Dunford said that in her personal experience, children won't notice if they're given replacement options without those additives. When buying snacks for one of her kid's parties, she opted for a version of a common brand of corn chips with no synthetic dyes or preservatives. 'I gave them to kids at a party, and no one said anything.' Dunford said. 'This just goes to show that it's really the marketing that drives the desire for these products and causes the problems.' Some steps have been taken to remove synthetic dyes from food and beverages. California banned Red 3 from all foods in 2023 and prohibited six other synthetic food dyes in foods sold in schools in 2024. More recently, in January of this year, the FDA announced that Red 3 will be banned nationwide in all food products by 2027. Warning labels are another potential option to limit synthetic dye consumption, and are being used in the European Union to identify foods containing Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. However, the burden still falls largely on consumers to scrutinize ingredient lists and marketing claims. For many families, that means navigating a colorful and oftentimes misleading food landscape, armed with little more than the fine print on the back of a box. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
25-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
One in five U.S. food and beverage products is made with synthetic dyes
Odds are, something in your pantry is colored with petroleum. Synthetic dyes — which give fruit snacks their bright colors and cereals their rainbow crunch — are embedded into the everyday foods that fill grocery store shelves, often in ways consumers don't realize. However, concern over their health effects has been growing in recent years, fueled by mounting evidence that certain synthetic dyes may harm children's long-term health. A new study shows that the use of these chemicals in the manufacturing of foods and beverages in the U.S. is more widespread than many might expect. Nearly 1 in 5 food items and beverages sold in the U.S. contain synthetic dyes, and many of them are commonly marketed to children. For many Americans, synthetic dyes such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 have become invisible staples of their diet. These petroleum-derived additives are commonly added to processed food and beverages to increase visual appeal and maintain color consistency. However, emerging research has made it clear that they also increase the risk of a range of adverse neurobehavioral effects — to which children are especially susceptible. A national study published Tuesday in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics looked at nearly 40,000 products produced by the top 25 U.S. food and beverage manufacturers, and found that synthetic food dyes were present in 19% of them. The study also determined that products using synthetic dyes were significantly more likely to be high in added sugars and low in nutritional quality. Even more concerning, researchers found that 28% of the products in categories most commonly marketed to children, including breakfast cereals, candy and sugar-sweetened beverages, contained synthetic dyes. Although the study focuses on the prevalence of synthetic dyes in U.S. food and beverages, Elizabeth Dunford, a lecturer at the University of New South Wales and co-author of the study, noted that its findings reinforce concerns among parents and public health experts about the potential neurological and behavioral effects of these additives. A 2021 assessment from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concluded that these additives can 'cause or exacerbate neurobehavioral problems in children.' Similarly, a 2022 review found that 52% of studies found a significant association between synthetic dye consumption and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, both those with and without existing behavioral disorders. These health concerns are not limited to behavioral problems. Red 3, for example, has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory rats, and Yellow 5 has been associated with allergic reactions in some individuals. However, despite decades of concern, current U.S. Food and Drug Administration registrations are still based on studies performed 35 to 50 years ago. In the recent study, the most common dyes that Dunford and her team found were Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1, appearing in 14%, 11%, and 11% of products, respectively. Synthetic dyes were found in such products as blueberry bagels, guacamole, corn chips and hot dog buns — items that consumers might not expect them. 'Even as an educated person, I've been tricked,' Dunford said. 'Consumers can be misled … when there are all these claims on the front of the pack that say 'healthy' or 'made with real fruit juice,' but it still has dyes.' The study found that foods and beverages containing synthetic dyes, on average, had 141% more sugar than dye-free products. The correlation between sugar and synthetic dyes was even more pronounced when it came to products marketed to kids: foods and beverages in the five categories most heavily marketed to children had a mean total sugar content of 42.6 grams per 100 grams — 264% higher than comparable products in other categories. This marketing strategy, which pairs bright colors with high sugar content, may be part of the reason these foods are so appealing to kids. But Dunford said that in her personal experience, children won't notice if they're given replacement options without those additives. When buying snacks for one of her kid's parties, she opted for a version of a common brand of corn chips with no synthetic dyes or preservatives. 'I gave them to kids at a party, and no one said anything.' Dunford said. 'This just goes to show that it's really the marketing that drives the desire for these products and causes the problems.' Some steps have been taken to remove synthetic dyes from food and beverages. California banned Red 3 from all foods in 2023 and prohibited six other synthetic food dyes in foods sold in schools in 2024. More recently, in January of this year, the FDA announced that Red 3 will be banned nationwide in all food products by 2027. Warning labels are another potential option to limit synthetic dye consumption, and are being used in the European Union to identify foods containing Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. However, the burden still falls largely on consumers to scrutinize ingredient lists and marketing claims. For many families, that means navigating a colorful and oftentimes misleading food landscape, armed with little more than the fine print on the back of a box.
