10 Things you should never feed your kids - number 5

Food Coloring or E numbers

The culprits- Food colorings or E numbers as they are known in Europe are used simply to make the food we eat more attractive. They are used to even out natural color variations, enhance natural coloration and in many cases change the food color completely. Wonder what makes Cheeto’s that appetizing orange color? Thats Sunset Yellow. Red Vines? Thats Allura Red. The Federal Drug and Cosmetic Act gives the FDA the power to approve and oversee the usage of all artificial food coloring of which there are seven. 

• FD&C Blue No1 - Brilliant Blue - Petroleum derivative- used in icing, jelly, drinks,candies etc etc -  Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen
• FD&C Blue No 2 - Indigotine - Disodium sulphonate of indigo- used in baked goods, cereals, snack food - Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen
• FD&C Green No3 - Fast Green - Petroleum derivative - used in beverages, ice cream, candy - Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen
• FD&C Red No 40 - Allura Red - Petroleum derivative - Snack food, baked goods, condiments - Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen
• FD&C Red No 3 - Erythrosine - Petroleum derivative - Candy, processed cherries, baked goods - Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen
• FD&C Yellow No 5 - Tartrazine - Petroleum derivative - Custard, ice cream, cereals - Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen
• FD&C Yellow No 6 - Sunset Yellow - Petroleum derivative - Cereals, snack foods, beverages - Banned in a number of countries as a known carcinogen

The solutions - The presence of food coloring can be pretty obvious. There are very few naturally occurring blue foods or bright pink or purple for that matter. It’s surprising however what other types of food are colored to make them appear fresher or more appetizing. Oranges are frequently dyed to make them more orange, farmed salmon is grey because it does not eat the crustaceans that its wild cousins eat that provide the pink color so a dye is added to its food. Butter is dyed to make it more yellow, glace cherries are naturally brown which would certainly upset the aesthetics of your cocktail. These colorants are going to be found in the same processed foods which contain many of the other ingredients previously discussed in this series. The science will always be out as to the harm done by these products because the studies funded by the food companies will always cast a shadow of doubt. In summary, if its bright pink/ blue/purple/yellow and can survive a nuclear winter it’s probably not good for you. There is a reason why most of this stuff is banned around the world.