Dyes in American Food

As Americans, it’s challenging to entirely avoid colored dyes in our food, as they are a staple in the American food industry. Alongside the fact that many other countries around the world have banned these dyes, Americans have begun to wonder why they are still so prominently in our food. 

For starters, the reason the FDA has not completely wiped out the use of artificial dyes in American food is that the link to disease and the dyes is not strong enough. While there is convincing evidence that dyes can harm Americans, the FDA loves the phrase, “correlation doesn’t equal causation.” Some also call these dyes addictive, so there is likely to be some economic motivation for the FDA to keep artificial dyes in American food.

Quite recently, however, the FDA has banned Red Dye 3. This is not the same thing as Red Dye 40, the most commonly known food dye used to brighten up foods. Anything from granola bars to maraschino cherries contains these artificial dyes. The government has given companies outside and inside the US that distribute foods containing these dyes three years to ban all use of Red 3 in any American food.

But why is there so much discourse over these dyes? Well, the most obvious answer is that these dyes are linked to lethal diseases, including, but not limited to, cancer. Red 3, for example, has been linked to thyroid tumors and was banned in 1990 in California in makeup products. Once it was found that Red 3 is highly linked to thyroid cancer, the Delaney Clause was triggered, causing a nationwide ban of the dye. Many wonder why it took so long for this ban on the dye in foods: if the dye had not been allowed in makeup, then why was it safe for the public to eat?

This theme continues for all of the other dyes, which have not been banned in the US. Many countries outside the US have banned the use of these dyes. Statistics have shown that issues Americans face, like bloating, constipation, and obesity, are less common in countries such as France or the UK, which have banned the use of artificial dyes in foods and otherwise entirely, including the infamous Red 40. 

With all of this discourse and one of the staple dyes being in the heavily processed American food, many have begun to ponder what comes next. Will more dyes be banned? Will Red 3 make a comeback? While only time will tell, it is quite unlikely that Red 3 will have a reappearance in American food. The most logical prediction for the future of artificial dyes in American foods is that others will be banned following Red 3. If there was enough statistical evidence to support the ban of Red 3 in American food, there is likely enough evidence to allow a ban of the other legal (for now, that is) dyes in our food.