U.S. consumer group calls for ban on food dyes linked to children’s behavior problems

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of eight artificial colorings implicated in childhood behavior disorders.

Officials at CSPI cite a 2004 metanalysis which strongly suggested an association between artificial dyes and hyperactivity, as well as a 2007 British study (see related article, Crime Times, 2007, Vol. 13, No. 4, Page 1) which found that even typical children frequently exhibited symptoms of hyperactivity when exposed to certain food dyes. As a result of the latter study and similar findings, the European Union’s Environmental Committee has voted to ban artificial colors in foods for babies and young children.

In contrast, CSPI says, “The FDA has done nothing to protect children from food additives that affect children’s behavior.” The consumer group is calling for a ban on eight food colorings—Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6—and for more research into the effects of food additives and dyes on children’s behavior.

David Schab, a coauthor of the 2004 study, says, “The science shows that kids’ behavior improves when these artificial colorings are removed from their diets and worsens when they’re added to their diets. While not all children seem to be sensitive to these chemicals, it’s hard to justify their continued use in foods—especially those foods heavily marketed to young children.”