What's the rule of thumb when it comes to food coloring safety?

I've heard that Red 40 is toxic. Yellow 5 is another one that comes up often. Don't know how true it is or what "toxic" means in this context, because everything is toxic depending on quantity ingested, so I wonder what this really means. I tend not to dye my own foods (except with turmeric or paprika) but it's pretty tough to find processed foods that are completely free of dyes. With that in mind, what should I know about food colorings when considering the potential for health hazards? What kind of hazards are we talking about here?

 

Processed foods have plenty of other issues, but that's a different can of worms. This question is just about food colorings and dyes.

  Topic Food and Drink Subtopic Healthy Eating
2 Years 1 Answer 670 views

Jo Stevenson

Reputation Score: 215

Submit An Answer

Answers ( 1 )

 
  1. Jess H. Brewer 1718 Community Answer

    I don't know, but I'll be watching for the answer, since I use a lot of Crystal Lite flavoring, and it's full of food coloring!  (They should really make the same flavorings without artificial coloring, for adults.  You'd think a lot of these companies would recognize the market for such products!)  

    UTC 2021-05-07 07:46 PM 0 Comments

To answer this question, you must be logged in.

Create an account

Already have an account? Login.

By Signing up, you indicate that you have read and agree to Sage's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy