Kellogg, Kraft and others use Artificial Food Dyes in US but not in Europe

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Many companies these days are using safe and natural food colorings in their products overseas because of a ban of many artificial food dyes throughout many countries in Europe. But in the good ole US of A, the same companies still continue to use these artificial food dyes in the exact same products. Why are these products banned in Europe but not in the US? Do American consumers have a false sense of security when it comes to our food?  

Here are just a few examples of how American companies add dangerous food colorings to the exact same food products they sell in Europe because it saves money and still allowed by the FDA:

1.  Mars UK uses natural food colorings in their M&M candies such as beet root, spirulina, beta-carotene, etc. However the US M&M includes Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2. YIKES!!

2.  Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain bars in the UK contain all natural beet root red, annatto and paprika for color but the cheaper, synthetic Red No. 40, Yellow No. 6 and Blue No. 1 are used to color the same product sold in the U.S.

3. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in England uses Paprika extract and Beta-Carotene to color their product while in the US, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 are used.

The list goes on and on………..

“At this point, American food manufacturers and regulators alike should be embarrassed that we’re feeding kids foods with chemicals that have such a powerfully disruptive impact on children’s behavior,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “European officials are taking the issue much more seriously, and are moving toward a safer food supply as a result.”

Because the FDA hasn’t encouraged food manufacturers to switch to safer natural colorings, many American food companies use the chemicals in the United States products but not in the U.K. equivalents. For example, the topping for a McDonald’s Strawberry Sundae sold in the United States contains Red 40. In the U.K., the topping’s color comes from strawberries. Representative Louise Slaughter, Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the only microbiologist serving in Congress, has written the FDA twice expressing concern about the widespread use of artificial dyes in food. “This is a sensible policy and a smart move to help protect the health and well being of children in Europe,” Slaughter said. “For too long, studies have raised questions about the impact food dyes are having on the development of children and the possible link between dyes and behavior. I have been troubled by the lack of solid data on this issue for more than a decade. It’s my hope that the Food and Drug Administration reviews the abundance of science on this issue and considers implementing a similar restriction or outright ban.” Besides being linked to behavior problems in children, food dyes are also inadequately tested and may pose cancer risks as well, according to a CSPI report. last year.

American consumers aren’t demanding safe food products for their children like our British counterparts. Companies like Kraft, Mars, McDonalds, Kellogg and many more can get away with using artificial dyes in the US because people don’t seem to have a problem with it. If the FDA isn’t going to protect your kids, food companies aren’t either. As parents, we need to demand that these companies change their ways for the sake of our children or just ban their products from our kitchens all together.