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Forget Sugar; That Dye Can't Be Good for You

Weighing link to kids' hyperactivity, FDA mulls ban on artificial colors

By Jess Kilby, Newser User

Posted Oct 13, 2008 6:43 AM CDT

(Newser) – The FDA is weighing a ban on a handful of artificial food dyes in the face of mounting evidence that some of the chemical compounds trigger hyperactivity in children, reports the Los Angeles Times. "The safety testing on these [dyes] was done 30 to 50 years ago," says one activist. "The tests are out of date and we have higher standards now that would show positive evidence of harm."

The potential link between synthetic food coloring and out-of-control kids became a hot topic in the 1970s, but experts say the issue faded after a series of poorly designed studies failed to offer solid proof. Several studies in the past decade make a strong argument for the connection, though, and the UK and Europe have recently taken steps to get the dyes out of their markets.

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New studies revive the argument that certain artificial colorings may cause hyperactivity in kids. (Shutterstock)

Kellog Co. disputes the link between hyperactivity in children and the artificial dyes found in many of the company's products. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

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Anything I can get without dyes I will. I look at the packaging on everything.
- Janice Markham, a Los Angeles-based mother of two

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Forget Sugar; That Dye Can't Be Good for You