July, 2010 Are Europeans Smarter than Americans?
A Word from Laura
Happy 4th of July! I hope this finds you all well and enjoying the long weekend.
My co-authors and I have just about finished our manuscript about food dyes and behavior for Clinical Pediatrics, a medical journal for practicing pediatricians. We are quite hopeful it will be selected for publication. We are also working on a second paper that addresses possible mechanisms of reactions to common foods and food additives. Why do some children react to dyes and others do not? It, too, has been a really interesting project, and we hope to have that article finished shortly.
The title of this newsletter this month is “Are Europeans Smarter than Americans?” when it comes to artificial colors.
Next month I’ll be on vacation so I’ll have a new newsletter for you in September. Enjoy your summer!
Best wishes,
Laura J. Stevens, M.S., Editor
News for You
Are Europeans Smarter than Americans?
When it comes to having artificial colors in their diets, Europeans are definitely smarter than Americans! As of July 20th this month food manufacturers in the European Union are given the choice of removing all food colors from their products or include this warning label clearly visible on the package: “[dyes in this product] may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” The dyes that are specifically mentioned are: Red #40 (Allura red), Yellow #5 (tartrazine), Yellow #6 (sunset yellow), Red #4 (Ponceau 4R), Yellow #10 (Quinoline Yellow), and carmoisine. In the United States manufacturers are not allowed to use Red #4, Yellow #10 and carmoisine in foods, but these colors are allowed in drugs and cosmetics. The US FDA has also approved Blue #1, Blue #2 and Red #3 and Green #3 for use in foods, but these are banned in the European Union.
This new regulation of the European Union comes after 2 fairly large studies of children from the general population—they were not pre-selected for ADHD1, 2. In 2 double-blind studies, children were given either a mixture of dyes (plus the preservative sodium benzoate) or a placebo. The children reacted with hyperactive symptoms to the dyes but not the placebo. Children who did not have ADHD also reacted to the dyes. The authors concluded that these dyes were not safe for children in the general population.
In 2008 the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the FDA to have the dyes removed from our food supply.3 They had the support of 2 dozen physicians and researchers. They pointed out that the use of food dyes in the US has rocketed from 12 mg in 1955 to 47 mg in 1998 to 59 mg in 2007—almost 5 times the 1955 amount!
Pure Facts, published by the Feingold Associations of the United States, pointed out in their June, 2010 issue that multi-national food manufactures have been creating natural versions of their products. For example, General Mills sells a Betty Crocker yellow cake mix in England that is colored with annatto and beta-carotene (both are natural substances although it is possible to react to annatto) while the same product in the United States is made with Yellow Dyes #5 and #6. In England M&Ms are made with natural dyes!
It’s time the United States catches up with Europe when it comes to banning artificial colors!
1. McCann D, Barrett A, Cooper A, et al. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2007;370:1560-1567.
2. Bateman B, Warner JO, Hutchinson E, et al. The effects of a double blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colourings and benzoate preservative challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool children. Arch Dis Child. 2004;89:506-511.
3. Jacobson MF. Petition to Ban the Use of Yellow 5 and Other Food dyes, in the Interim to Require a Warning on Foods Containing These Dyes. Washington, DC: Center for Science in the Public Interest; 2008.
