A Perilous Palette for the Palate

“I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam I am!”

With those lyrical, rhyming words, Dr. Seuss gave us one of our first lessons in the incredible power that food’s color holds over us. What we didn’t know at the time was that it’s a cautionary tale.

Countless studies have proven Dr. Seuss’ point. In many ways, we eat with our eyes. Color affects our perceptions of food’s quality and flavor. If it doesn’t look like we expect it should, we reject it. The brighter and more vibrant the color, the fresher and tastier we assume it will be.

However, sometimes our eyes may deceive us, as do the many food manufacturers that capitalize on these assumptions to enhance their bottom lines. Lots of these products are treated with artificial food colors to create a tantalizing illusion.

And illusion it is. The most commonly used food colors are synthetic petroleum-derived chemicals that add no taste, nutrition, or preservation to the food. Their sole purpose is to make the product look more attractive.

And worse yet, emerging scientific evidence strongly suggests these synthetic additives may cause long-overlooked or misdiagnosed health consequences, including hyperactivity, anxiety, aggression, depression, and possibly even cancer or DNA damage.