Is the FDA Really in Our Corner? The Hidden Truth About Artificial Food Colors

Renee Shutters of Jamestown, NY, noticed adverse effects in her son’s behavior and attention span after he consumed M&M’s made with artificial food colors (AFCs). Beginning a petition on Change.org, Shutters called out food manufacturing corporation Mars, for their use of synthetic food dyes in M&M’s. After sharing her story on multiple news outlets, including The Today Show and The New York Times, Mars was empathetic to the family’s story and claimed they would remove food dyes from M&M’s. Ten years later, M&M’s in the United States continue to include common artificial food colors, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 & Red 40, in their ingredient list.

Shutters is not the only one to fight for food dye safety. Many others have pressured the FDA to make a change in their approval process of food coloring. Rightfully so, many nations such as Norway, Finland and Switzerland, have completely banned certain AFCs, and the EU even warns the public about the potential adverse effects of AFCs on product labels. In the US, AFCs were approved by the FDA between 1969 and 1987, but the agency has yet to change this legislation, even after decades of studies.

The debate surrounding AFCs has been going on for years, as studies have highlighted their effects on children. Most notably, a 2007 study done by Southampton University linked AFCs to hyperactivity, which includes inattention, increased movement and impulsivity. Additionally, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40, were found to contain benzidine, a manufactured chemical known to increase risk of cancer. Another study even linked AFCs to DNA damage.