Alex Miller
Associate Editor
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2026
Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies have shown that certain food color dyes have toxic and carcinogenic effects on human health, with focuses predominantly on Red No. 3 and Red No. 40. However, in recent years, studies have revealed the toxicity of many other artificial food color dyes in addition to red dyes. Last month, United States Senator Ron Johnson hosted a roundtable discussion, “American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion”, with prominent doctors and other health advocates to discuss the changes within agriculture, food processing, and healthcare industries and their impacts on the nation’s health. Among many topics covered during the four-hour-long discussion was the negative effects of artificial color additives in everyday foods on people’s health with toxic and carcinogenic effects. This discussion is coupled with increased calls on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban artificial food color additives in food products. At the state level, California and Illinois have begun to act to ban these toxic color additives statewide.
The carcinogenic color culprits
Food processors and manufacturers often add color dyes to their products as a marketing strategy to make their products look more appetizing to consumers. Dyes are used in a variety of products, including candies, cereals, cookies and other desserts, chips and crackers, processed meats, cheeses, soft drinks, pickles, and even medications and daily vitamins. The dyes add no nutritional value or flavor to food products but only brighten the food to make it more vibrant. Currently, the FDA has approved nine artificial food color dyes as safe for consumption: Blue No. 1, Blue No.2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Red No. 2, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6, with the most used dyes being Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6. However, recent studies have shown that artificial dyes not only have carcinogenic effects on people’s health. The toxic color additives also show to have a possible causal link to other health problems that disproportionately affect children, including allergies, asthma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), heart problems, and even obesity. More studies are necessary to differentiate whether certain health conditions like ADHD or obesity are worsened and caused by artificial color additives rather than high sugar consumption. However, it is clear that high levels of artificial color additive consumption have toxic effects on human health with increased risks of cancer, allergies, and a negative impact on children’s metabolic, behavioral, and nutritional development.
Recent government action
As concerns over artificial food color additives rise as more studies demonstrating their toxicity are released, legislators and government officials have begun acting to limit the use of the toxic food color additives. While Senator Johnson has brought national attention to the issue and called on the FDA to federally ban these artificial additives, state legislators have also taken steps to limit artificial food color consumption for their respective states. Last month, California became the first state to ban artificial dyes from being served in public schools. Governor Newsom signed legislation banning foods that contain six different artificial food dyes from being served in California public schools. The California School Food Safety Act bans Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 from statewide public school meals, drinks, and snacks. The act was proposed in response to studies demonstrating the hyperactive, neurobehavioral, and carcinogenic effects that the artificial dyes have on children.
Furthermore, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania legislators are now considering various legislation to ban different artificial food additives, following California’s lead. The Illinois Food Safety Act proposes to ban Red No. 3 and other carcinogenic food additives. Similarly, the FDA has announced proposed rules mimicking the recent state legislation banning the use of certain artificial chemical additives, including Red No. 3.
Next steps and safer alternatives to artificial food color additives
The FDA needs to pass new rules and regulations banning the use of artificial color additives. Although food producers use chemical additives to make their food products more appealing, there is no nutritional, taste, or health value added to these foods. Therefore, the negative health effects that result from increased consumption of these artificial color additives strongly outweigh any positive component of using the additives. Additionally, there are safer and less toxic ingredients that these food companies can use as an alternative to toxic artificial food color additives. One alternative is for companies to use natural food dyes such as saffron, cochineal (used from Coccidae insects), natural caramel, red beet, and indigo. There are also options for using microbial dyes from microorganisms, although more research into this alternative is still necessary.
The FDA must act because consumers should not need to worry that the food they are purchasing to feed themselves and their families is poisoning them. Even so, there are precautions consumers can take to avoid or limit consumption of toxic artificial food color additives. Fresh food products, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and raw meats, are best for avoiding artificial color additives, and when fiscally possible, organic options are best suited. In addition, more companies are shifting to using natural color dyes and offering products with fewer chemicals in their food as an alternative for consumers who are aware of the toxicity of artificial color additives in foods and wish to avoid them. By incorporating more fresh food products into daily diets and limiting the consumption of processed and prepackaged foods, consumers can limit their intake of these toxic artificial color additives in food, reducing their risk of cancer and other future health problems.