Food to Dye For? There Are Sustainable Options

Sustainable food is very simple: it's whole food. It's not some amalgam of chemistry; it's simply food. Because naturally food doesn't host a variety of shelf-stabilizers and other preservatives in order to satisfy a consumer's topical desire, processed food needs to "bump up" the color of products to convey an idea of "fresh" or "natural."

Recently, the Center for Science in the Public Interest announced a concern against factory food processors that use petroleum-based chemical food dyes (Artificial food coloring is made from mineral compounds, petroleum, petrochemicals and coal tar). Chemical food colorings pose a "rainbow of risks", including:

"hyperactivity in children, cancer (in animal studies), and allergic reactions. In 2008, because of the problem of hyperactivity, the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of these dyes. The British government and European Union have taken actions that are virtually ending the use of dyes throughout Europe.

But the FDA had this to say about food dyes:

Color additives are used in foods for many reasons:

1. to offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions;


2. to correct natural variations in color;


3. to enhance colors that occur naturally; and


4. to provide color to colorless and "fun" foods. Color additives are now recognized as an important part of practically all processed foods we eat.

FDA's permitted colors are classified as subject to certification or exempt from certification, both of which are subject to rigorous safety standards prior to their approval and listing for use in foods.

Certified colors are synthetically produced (or human made) and used widely because they impart an intense, uniform color, are less expensive, and blend more easily to create a variety of hues. There are nine certified color additives approved for use in the United States Certified food colors generally do not add undesirable flavors to foods.

To which the Center for Science in the Public Interest could easily rebut with:

Food dyes also serve to deceive consumers: they are often used to simulate the presence of healthful, colorful fruits and vegetables. But considering the adverse impact of these chemicals on children, and considering how easily they can be replaced with safe, natural ingredients, it's time to get rid of them altogether from the United States and Canada.

Here are the food colors to watch for:

• Blue 1 (brilliant blue FCF)
  Why to avoid it: A potential mitochondrial toxin that inhibits the body's ability to convert food into energy. Could increase cancer risk. Linked to increased hyperactivity in children.


• Blue 2 (indigotine)
  Why to avoid it: Linked to nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, breathing problems, and increased hyperactivity in children.


• Green 3 (fast green)
  Why to avoid it: May inhibit the release of neurotransmitters, preventing nerve impulses. Linked to bladder cancer and increased hyperactivity in children.


• Red 3 (erythrosine)
  Why to avoid it: Associated with thyroid tumors in animals and increased hyperactivity in children. It has been banned for use in cosmetics.


• Yellow 6 (sunset yellow FCF)
  Why to avoid it: May cause adrenal and kidney tumors, nasal congestion, hives, or abdominal pain. Linked to increased hyperactivity in children.[3]

The entire list of color additives approved by the FDA really is the entire list. It gives the additives for food, makeup, drugs, certified, non-certified (natural) names and what kinds of things one can find them in.

As listed before, there are a number of reasons companies season their products with chemicals, but it boils down to this: Our natural inclination is to pick fruits and vegetables that look good, but we all know that looks can be (and often are) deceiving. There's even new research that shows store-bought, genetically-engineered, chemically induced foods may "look better" in the grocery store, but are actually less dense in nutrients. It's a broken system.

Of course there are many natural and safe alternative dyes have that have been used for thousands of years by many craftsman like Beet juice, Black Currant Extract, Carrot, Chlorophyll, Curcumin, Elderberry, Grape, Hibiscus, Paprika, Red Cabbage, Spinach, and Turmeric among others, but they are expensive to use, so companies will continue to use petrochemical dyes until they have a high enough demand by their client bases to discontinue their uses.

The best, most efficient way to do this is to utilize your farmer's markets. Use Community Supported Agriculture (it's not as expensive as you might think). If you must buy something with a label, make sure there are as few ingredients as possible: only buy items with ingredients you know personally. Wash all your vegetables thoroughly. Make children wash their hands well.

But even further, I would propose that people start to think about these kinds of things and demand a reform of the food industry. For too long we've been letting them use us as lab rats and our collective health has declined in tandem.

The United States could make an historic move and outlaw them as well not only on the basis of securing public health, but also in the name of sustainability. As these dyes originate from petrochemicals, and then require a number of processes to even get them into dye form, we can set the example for using natural, safe dyes for a sustainable food system that leads and feeds the world.

Photo credit: the Consumerist

http://www.fda.gov/food/foodingredientspackaging/ucm094211.htm

http://deliciouslivingmag.com/health/archive/0721-food-dyes-avoid/

http://deliciouslivingmag.com/health/archive/0721-food-dyes-avoid/