red40

❎ Wednesday Removal: Red 40

Quote of the day:

“Success comes from the inside out. In order to change what is on the outside, you must first change what is on the inside.”

– Idowu Koyenikan

Red 40

What is it?

Red 40 is a commonly used artificial food coloring and is primarily known for its ability to give products a bright red color. It is a synthetic dye that is made from petroleum and is often added to foods and beverages.

Red 40 is sadly approved by the FDA as they consider it “safe for most people to consume in small amounts”. Given it is a very common, and one of the most widely used artificial food colorings, most people are consuming it in large amounts. Red 40 is used in thousands of products, including candies, beverages, cereals, baked goods, and more.

Food manufacturers use Red 40 and other artificial food colorings to make their products look more appealing to sell to consumers. Color is an important factor in how we perceive food, and adding Red 40 can make foods look more visually appealing and appetizing. Red 40 is not a necessary or essential ingredient in most foods, and many products can be made without it.

Red 40 is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, which makes it an attractive choice for food manufacturers. It is also stable under a wide range of pH levels and temperatures, which means that it can be used in many different types of products.

Why does it matter?

While Red 40 is “considered safe for consumption in the US”, it has been banned or restricted in some other countries due to concerns about its safety.

Here are a few reasons why Red 40 has been banned or restricted in some places:

Hyperactivity in children: Some studies have linked Red 40 to hyperactivity, ADHD, and other behavioral problems in children, which has led to bans or restrictions in some countries. For example, the European Union requires products containing Red 40 to carry a warning label that the additive "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
Cancer Causing: Some animal studies suggest that Red 40 may increase the risk of certain types of cancer. As a result, the additive has been banned in several European countries, including Norway and Finland.
Allergic reactions: Red 40 has been associated with allergic reactions in some people, which has led to bans or restrictions in some countries. For example, it is banned in Australia and New Zealand.
Concerns about safety: Some countries have banned or restricted Red 40 due to general concerns about the safety of artificial food colorings. For example, in 2010, the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency called for a voluntary phase-out of six artificial colors, including Red 40, due to concerns about their safety.

New research from McMaster University has linked long-term ingestion of Red 40 to inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease. The research found that Red 40 disrupts gut function and increases inflammation, leading to changes that increase the risk of colitis and can be a trigger for IBS/IBD. Red 40 is also linked to damaging DNA and inducing inflammation markers that effect the tissue in your colon which can lead to Colon Cancer.

Overall, being aware of the harms of Red 40 will help you make more informed choices about your diet and potentially reduce your risk or children’s risk of experiencing negative health effects.

How to remove from your life?

Reading your food and beverage labels will help you can make a more conscious decision about whether to consume products that contain Red 40. You can also choose alternative products that use natural food dyes instead of the artificial types.

What is even worse is most of these foods are the ones that appeal to children. Here is a list of foods that Red 40 is commonly found in, but this is certainly not all of them:

Gatorade
Doritos & other chips like Flamin Hot Cheetos
Breakfast cereals (Lucky Charms, Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, Trix)
Sodas, fruit juices and other soft drinks
Condiments, including Ketchup
Pop Tarts
Puddings
Dairy products (ice cream, sherbet, flavored milks, frozen yogurt)
Baked goods
Candy (M&Ms, Skittles, Starburst, Lollipops)
Fruit gummy snacks
Jello
Gum

There are other names that Red 40 can be listed as so beware of these as well. Red 40, Red 40 Lake, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, Allura Red AC, CI Food Red 17, INS No. 129, E129.

Other food dyes that should be avoided are Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2 - I am sure there are many more so I would avoid all artificial food colorings on labels. The other dyes like Yellow 5 are typically made from Coal Tar and are commonly found in things like Mac & Cheese, Cheetos, etc.

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