WPBN: When asked this month about fresh concerns about the possible behavioral health impacts of a food dye called Red 40, the senior food official at the Food and Drug Administration stated that the agency has not publicly reevaluated the dye’s safety in more over ten years.
An initiative has been started by the agency to reexamine certain additives that have already received approval. The FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, Jim Jones, cautioned that their budget was insufficient and that it would take years for them to catch up to other nations.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the department that oversees the FDA and other health agencies, has voiced his strong disapproval of the decades-old debate over synthetic food dyes, which has helped to rekindle interest on Capitol Hill.
A representative for the Republican senator from Alabama stated, “Senator Tuberville looks forward to working with the incoming Trump administration to Make America Healthy Again,” referencing the catchphrase that RFK Jr. has used. The spokesperson added that Tuberville was “shocked to learn” that the FDA had not examined the safety of Red 40 for such a long time.
Red Dye 40: What is it?
The FDA designates a color additive that was initially registered with the government in the 1970s as FD&C Red No. 40, or Red 40 for short. In the food business, the chemical is called Allura Red AC, and in Europe, it is called E 129.
Petroleum is now used to make the majority of it.
The dye is combined with aluminum through additional chemical reactions to produce “Red 40 Lake.” In order to assist stop color leakage in items like frostings or chewing gum, where there is insufficient moisture to breakdown the dye, lakes are frequently utilized.
Red 40 and some other synthetic dyes are produced under increased FDA monitoring, according to the agency, which checks each batch for impurities from the manufacturing process.
Every quarter, Red 40 is the dye that is generated in the greatest quantity among those that go through this purity certification.
Which beverages and foods include red dye 40?
Children are most likely to be exposed to Red 40 from drinks, frozen desserts, and cereal, according to a 2016 FDA research.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the charity Environmental Working Group have released databases that include thousands of items that contain Red 40. Cosmetics and medications also include it.
Products like Kellogg’s Froot Loops, a cereal brand that Kennedy has lambasted, are among them. The food manufacturer has been called upon to eliminate artificial coloring, as it did with less luminous Froot Loops that were sold in other nations, such as Canada. Other well-known cereal brands, such as General Mills’ Lucky Charms, also include Red 40.
A number of frozen dessert items, such as Breyers’ M&M’s Minis Caramel Fudge Light Ice Cream, Blue Bell’s Birthday Cake Vanilla Flavored Ice Cream Cups, Blue Bunny’s Strawberry Flavored Soft Frozen Dairy Dessert, and Turkey Hill’s Black Raspberry Premium Ice Cream, also include Red 40.
Several soft drinks, such as Fanta Soda and Gatorade Fruit Punch, also contain Red 40. Other beverage types, such as generic pink lemonade mixes or a number of strawberry milk brands, may also include the dye.
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Why isn’t red dye 40 prohibited in the US?
In order to assess the safety of dyes like Red 40, the FDA called a conference of its food advisors in 2011 after the British study prompted European regulators to issue warnings about them.
The panel narrowly rejected a warning of this type. The majority stated that they were divided on whether the studies deserved a warning, but they believed that they had failed to establish a causal connection.
With its limited food budget, Keefe said the agency had more urgent public health concerns, unless Congress intervened to require changes or provide funding for the kind of expensive studies to fill in the gaps from earlier research.
