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

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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