Dyeing Your Children
Recently there was the case of harmful BPA’s in baby bottles. Now a new controversy arises: Red 40 an Yellow 5 in food products. It does include children’s food products.
Red 40 and Yellow 5, also known as Tartrazine are food dyes. Obviously deemed necessary ingredient by manufacturers to make food more visually appealing to kids.
Red 40 — also known as Allura Red, Food Red 17, C.I. 16035, FD&C Red 40, 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, 6-hydroxy-5-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo)-, disodium salt, and disodium 6-hydroxy-5-((2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo)-2-naphthalene-sulfonate – Wikipedia — is actually made from coal tar and not derived from the cochineal insect as popular misconception would have it.
These food dyes have been banned in most European countries such as Germany, Norway and Austria for some time now but is still being used in the United States to date.
One of the most identifiable product that uses Red 40 is Kool Aid. Children who are sensitive to this product are susceptible to temper tantrums, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, kicking, nervousness, inability to concentrate and sti still among other findings.
Yellow 5, or Tartrazine has also been linked to children’s hyperactivity. In adults it might be a simple case of indigestion or more seriously, it can cause clinical depression, anxiety, vision problems, feeling like your suffocating, migraines, and sleep deprivation.
These food dyes can be found in common food items that has been colored red or yellow. Elimination of food items containing these dyes from your children’s diet will give dramatic results instantly.
Children suffering from ADHD has seen improvements in behavior once their diets are altered to exclude these chemicals. Unfortunately, Allura Red and Tartrazine are also found in children’s vitamins, medicines and even hyperactivity meds which exacerbates the problem.
So moms, when shopping for grocery, be aware of reading the labels on your children’s foods.
- resource: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/131963/is_the_red_40_food_dye_additive_having.html
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