Is red dye use in food products a health hazard? - The Washington Post

“Roses and chocolates are wonderful, but I would think twice about giving your sweetheart those pink or red heart-shaped candies,” says Melanie Benesh, a lawyer and vice president of government affairs for the Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organization that has compiled a list of the nearly 3,000 products containing the dye.

The International Association of Color Manufacturers referenced a 14-day human study that found no ill effects on thyroid function among 30 men, divided into three groups with each taking a different daily dose of red dye No.

Those who support the CSPI petition — nearly two dozen groups and scientists — often cite the Delaney clause, which Congress passed in 1958 as part of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as a basis for banning the chemical.

If it causes cancer in humans and animals, you can’t put it in food,” said Tom Neltner, senior director of safer chemicals for the Environmental Defense Fund.

Neltner pointed out that Congress in March appropriated $7 million in new money for the FDA for “emerging chemical and toxicology issues” in fiscal year 2022.

If you want to avoid them in home cooking and baking, there are many natural choices that can add color, including extracts from fruits (strain out the seeds) such as raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.