Two days ago, the FDA finally agreed to take a closer look at the safety of food coloring. Well, not so much the safety I suppose, but they did agree to take a look at the link between hyperactivity and artificial food dyes.
Just this afternoon it’s been announced that the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee voted 11 to 3 that there is not enough conclusive evidence to link artificial food dyes to hyperactivity in children.
Disappointing – but not a surprise. Yesterday, the meeting was already running toward the food coloring is a-okay side.
Not that I’m a huge advocate of hyperactivity. Honestly, I think people forget, in this day and age, with all this sedentary behavior, that kids are actually naturally quite active. Or used to be anyhow. Hyperactivity, in my opinion is seriously overused term.
That said, I was still happy to see the FDA looking at food coloring because there are many negative issue linked to fake food dyes. I figured this was a good window into the food dye conversation. The FDA could have decided to look at some other issues too, not just the hyperactivity issue. Sadly, it seems this conversation is over for now, at least so far as the government is concerned.
You can still avoid artificial food dyes in your own home though – see ways to avoid chemical food dyes (skip to the end of this link).
Image ©beverlytaz via sxc.
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Great article. I guess I’m just a skeptic but I just don’t trust the FDA to give an unbiased
report. I will continue to avoid all food dyes in my food and that of my pets.
Thanks for the informative links.
Joanne