How to Avoid Food Dyes

Despite growing interest in whole and organic foods, many processed foods still contain a number of chemicals. These substances are used to color foods, extend shelf life, intensify flavor and improve texture. Some food colorings may be linked to brain, thyroid, kidney and adrenal cancers, allergies and other health concerns. While chemical food additives are regulated by the federal government, many people still wish to avoid food dyes.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Read labels. This can be a challenge, since the list can be long and you may need to do some translation. Chemical food dye can appear in beverages, candy, gum, pudding, ice cream, snack foods, cereals, dairy products, jelly and jam, condiments, powders, frostings, syrup, powders, extracts, sausage and baked goods. Canned fruit, especially cherries, may contain various food colorings. Pet foods can also contain food dyes.

2. Eat mostly fresh, whole foods that you prepare yourself or that come from a trusted retailer or restaurant. Focus on foods rich in vitamins that act as antioxidants, such as A, C and E. Also look for minerals such as zinc and selenium, which can help your system detoxify.

3. Buy organic produce when possible. Wash and peel fruits and vegetables that are not organic, since food dyes and other chemical additives may linger on the peels. Whenever possible, buy produce in season and look for local offerings at farm stands and regional markets. Fruits and vegetables that have not had to survive long distance travel and storage are less likely to have been treated with chemicals to preserve their color and freshness.

4. Consume wild fish rather than farmed fish. For example, farm-raised salmon may appear to have the same deep red flesh of salmon caught at sea, but this is often the result of food dyes.

5. Look for an alternative to your favorite product if you discover it is too colorful. Compare product labels, since not all manufacturers use the same food colorings.

6. Avoid buying products with common blue food dyes. FD&C Blue Number 1 is also called "Brilliant Blue FCF" and "Bright blue". Blue Number 2 is called "Ingtotine" or "Royal Blue."

7. Learn alternative names for red food dyes. "Cherry-red" Red Number 3 is also called "Erythrosine." The "Orange-red" FD&C Red No.40 is also called "Allura Red AC."

8. Realize yellow food dyes are also called by a number of names. Yellow 6 is a common additive. Yellow 5 and 6 may cause hives or other allergic reactions.

9. Go against the green. FD&C Green Number 3 is also known as "Fast Green" or "Sea Green."

10. Realize that some food dyes that are considered "certifiable colors" by the FDA are limited to highly specific uses. For example, Citrus Red Number 2 is only found in some Florida oranges, and then only in the peel. This dye may pose a slight cancer risk, but it does not penetrate the fruit itself. Wash and peel the orange before eating it.

Tips & Warnings

• Symptoms such as weak or numb limbs, memory loss and other cognitive problems, headaches, behavioral issues, vision problems, sexual dysfunction, sensitivity to food dyes or other food additives may be a concern.

• FDA-certifiable colors are known as either chemical "dyes" or "lakes" depending on their form. Dyes are water-soluble; lakes are not.

• The FDA does not certify any "natural" food dyes that may appear on a product label. Examples of plant-based food dyes are paprika, saffron, grape skin extract, cottonseed, carrot oil and beet powder.