is there a link between food dyes and hyperactivity in children? · 2018-09-11 · are safe....
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Is there a link between food dyesand hyperactivity in children?
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese line the shelves at a store. Photo: Mike Mozart / Flickr
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese — that favorite food of kids, packaged in the classic
blue box — will soon be free of yellow dye. Kraft announced Monday that it will
remove artificial food coloring, notably Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 dyes, from
its mac and cheese by 2016. Instead, the pasta will maintain its bright yellow
color by using natural ingredients: paprika, turmeric and annatto (which comes
from achiote tree seeds).
The company said it decided to pull the dyes because more consumers want
natural foods. But claims that the dyes may be linked to attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children have also risen recently. On its
website, Kraft says unnatural colors are not harmful, and the company is
removing them because consumers want more foods with no artificial colors.
By Scientific American, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.07.15
Word Count 849
Controversy Over Food Dyes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that artificial food dyes
are safe. However, some studies have found that the dyes can contribute to
hyperactive behavior and attention problems in children. Food dyes have been
controversial since studies in the 1970s suggested a link between artificial
colors and hyperactive behavior. But scientists, consumers and the government
do not agree on the extent of this risk or the correct path to address it.
A 2007 study in the United Kingdom showed that artificial colors contributed to
an increase in hyperactivity in children. In response, the European Union (EU)
started requiring food labels to say that a product contains any one of six types
of dyes that had been investigated. The label states the product may have a
bad effect on "activity and attention in children." The FDA had a meeting in 2011
to review the research. It concluded that there was not enough evidence
proving that foods with artificial colors caused hyperactivity in the general
population. The FDA decided that further research was needed, and that a label
was unnecessary.
But Joel Nigg, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University, says the
studies support the link between dyes and hyperactivity. "On the one hand you
can sympathize with those who want to take a wait-and-see attitude," he says.
Yet on the other hand, he says: "Do you want to take a chance that these initial
studies are wrong and put kids at risk or do you want to take a chance that
they're right? We have to work on the (information) we have."
Yellow Nos. 5 And 6
A comparison of studies by Nigg in 2012 concluded that color additives have an
effect on hyperactivity in children. He also concluded that further research was
needed. Many of the studies looked at only small numbers of people. Studies
have also shown that removing foods with artificial dyes from diets can
decrease hyperactivity. However, Nigg says this is probably because removing
processed foods in general is healthier and leads to better behavior.
Companies typically add artificial colors to make their products look more
appetizing. The chemicals Yellow Nos. 5 and 6 have been in use since the early
1900s. The FDA approved them for use in 1969 and 1986, respectively. They
are 2 of the 9 colors that food manufacturers must list on ingredient labels.
According to the FDA, 1 out of every 10,000 people are allergic to Yellow No. 5.
The amount of dye the FDA has decided is acceptable for daily intake, or ADI, is
5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg bw/day) for Yellow No.
5. The limit is 3.75 mg/kg bw/day for Yellow No. 6.
An April 2015 study looked at how much dye was in recommended servings of
processed foods; it found Kraft Mac & Cheese contained 17.6 milligrams of
Yellow Nos. 5 or 6 per 1-cup serving. Because the chemicals are so similar in
color, and difficult to tell apart in measurements, the researchers chose the dye
with the highest concentration. For a child weighing about 65 pounds, this
translates to 0.59 mg/kg bw/day per serving.
"All The Evidence We Have"
Bernard Weiss, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center in
New York, has researched this issue for many years. He says he is frustrated
that the FDA has not acted on the research showing the connection between
artificial dyes and hyperactivity. "All the evidence we have has showed that it
has some capacity to harm," he says. "In Europe, that's enough to get it banned.
In this country, it's up to the government to find out whether or not there are
harmful effects." Weiss supports banning artificial colors until companies prove
they are safe. Like most other scientists in this field, he thinks more research is
necessary.
Nigg says the FDA should require manufacturers to label foods saying artificial
colors could affect hyperactivity in some children, like the E.U. does. He said
the research shows "that there's a subgroup of kids that seems to respond much
more to these types of things, and that group is what I worry about.” The only
way to protect that subgroup, he says, “is to protect everybody. We don't have
to alarm the public to inform the public."
Quiz
1 According to the article, what do most scientists believe about artificial coloring in
food products?
(A) that they should be banned
(B) that they cause hyperactivity
(C) that they are completely safe
(D) that they should be studied more
2 In the section "Yellow Nos. 5 And 6," which paragraph explains some of the
limitations of current research into food dyes?
3 How does the introduction [paragraphs 1-2] contribute to the overall article?
(A) It makes a prediction.
(B) It makes an argument.
(C) It provides a summary.
(D) It provides an estimate.
4 Which BEST describes the way the author structures the section "All The Evidence
We Have"?
(A) order of events
(B) cause and effect
(C) problem and solution
(D) compare and contrast