Is Food Dye Bad for You? Here's What We Know About These Additives

Stop-sign-red lollipops, violet gummy snacks, neon green popsicles and bright blue sports drinks. Artificial food coloring can make foods more enticing, especially for kids. But is food dye bad for you?

It's a valid question, considering artificial additives like food dyes show up in 60 percent of the foods we buy and that politicians on both sides of the aisle have recently called for some of these ingredients to be banned.

On the other hand, the Food & Drug Administration maintains that synthetic dyes are safe, and many nutrition experts say that technicolor foods can have a place in your diet. "I think the conversation around artificial food dyes needs more nuance," says dietitian Katherine Matzelaar, RDN, owner of Bravespace Nutrition.

So, we dug into the research and spoke with three registered dietitians to get their take. Here's an evidence-based look at the risks and potential side effects of artificial colors and whether there are food dyes to avoid completely.

Artificial or synthetic food dyes are petroleum-derived substances added to packaged foods to make them more colorful. "They provide aesthetic appeal, making food visually appealing, but they offer no nutritional benefits," says nutrition expert Kristen White, RDN, LDN.

Nine synthetic food dyes have been given the green light by the FDA. According to an ‌Environmental Health Perspectives‌ paper, these dyes show up in our food products the most:

• Red 40
  
• Yellow 5
  
• Yellow 6
  

Other dyes that are used less often include blue 1, blue 2, green 3, citrus red 2, red 3, and orange B, per the FDA.

Artificial food coloring is added to a wide range of packaged and processed foods, including some you might not expect, notes the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Cleveland Clinic. You may find them in:

• Baked goods
  
• Candy
  
• Cereal
  
• Condiments
  
• Dried fruit
  
• Energy drinks
  
• Frozen desserts
  
• Fruit snacks
  
• Protein powder
  
• Sauces and marinades
  
• Salad dressings
  
• Sodas, juices and sweet teas
  
• Sports drinks
  
• Snack foods
  
• Yogurt

Foods containing red dye, specifically, include some cereals, condiments, confections, dairy products, drinks, gelatin and meat or vegetarian-meat products, as well as some over-the-counter medications.

The question of whether food dye is bad for you doesn't have an entirely straightforward answer. There's no research that has directly linked food dyes consumed at normal levels to major health risks in humans. As a result, the artificial food dyes found in packaged foods have long been deemed GRAS, or Generally Recognized as Safe, by the Food & Drug Administration.

"These agencies set strict guidelines to ensure dyes are used at levels far below what could cause harm," Matzelaar says.

That said, some studies have suggested artificial food dyes could have negative effects for certain people. The main concerns are:

Artificial food dye is linked to a higher risk for hyperactivity and inattentiveness in children, concluded a 2021 evaluation by the state of California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (the evaluation included 27 studies). Some experts suspect these dyes could have a negative effect on microbes in the gut, which may in turn influence certain neurotransmitters in the brain (due to the gut-brain connection), explains Jason Levee, RD, founder of Whole Family Health Nutrition Counseling.

Not all kids will develop behavioral problems from eating dyed foods. But children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have an uptick in symptoms, while cutting out foods with artificial colors seems to have the opposite effect, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Some animal studies suggest certain synthetic dyes could have carcinogenic properties. Red 3, which shows up in candies, popsicles, sausages and vegetarian meat replacements, has been shown to cause cancer in rats, but not in humans, according to the FDA. The evidence was enough for the FDA to ban the use of Red 3 in cosmetics (where it was once used in potentially harmful doses), but not in foods, where it's used in lower doses.

There are also some concerns with red 40 food coloring as a food ingredient linked to cancer. The color is often used in candy, gum, condiments and beverages. The dye contains benzene, a substance known to cause cancer in high doses. However, the amount of benzene found in foods colored with red 40 doesn't seem to be enough to pose a high risk, the Cleveland Clinic says.

In rare cases, synthetic food dyes could trigger an allergic reaction, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.

Despite the potential risks and side effects of food coloring, none of the experts we spoke with believe that everyone needs to cut these dyes out of their diet completely.

"This doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing approach," Matzelaar says. "Most kids don't need to avoid dyes entirely to be healthy, and parents certainly don't need that extra pressure."

So rather than stressing about the occasional technicolor popsicle or slice of rainbow birthday cake, consider zooming out to focus on your diet quality as a whole by choosing wholesome, minimally processed foods most of the time.

Fake food coloring tends to show up in processed foods that are generally high in refined sugar and carbohydrates and low in nutrition, Levee notes. (Hello, gummy bears and grape soda.) By focusing more on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains, you'll naturally limit your intake of dyes and other artificial additives while getting more of the nutrients your body needs to function at its best.

On the other hand? If you notice that you or your child don't respond well to dye-laden foods, there's nothing wrong with simply saying no thanks. "Some folks are more sensitive to dyes, just like some folks are more sensitive to spicy foods or caffeine," Levee says.

Eating fewer foods with synthetic dyes might come with a learning curve, especially if your kids are used to specific snacks or treats. But with a little bit of planning, it's possible to curb your intake while still eating in a way that feels satisfying and fun. Some ways to do that:

• ‌Add more wholesome stuff to your meals and snacks.‌ Namely fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. When you fill up on real foods, there's simply less room for the packaged and processed fare that often contains dyes, Levee points out.
  
• ‌Check ingredient lists.‌ Buying a packaged or processed item? Take a quick look at the ingredients to see if it contains any artificial colors. Synthetic dyes have to be listed on the label, so it's easy to tell where your food's color is coming from.
  
• ‌Find a less-processed alternative.‌ If an item you normally buy contains a dye you'd rather avoid, look for a comparable option that gets its color from natural ingredients, like fruit.
  

Whether food dyes are harmful to your health likely depends on a host of factors, such as how much you're eating, your age and whether you have any underlying conditions or specific sensitivities. Experts say most people don't need to avoid food dyes completely, but to get the most nutrition from your food, reach for whole, unprocessed fare (which is naturally free of food additives like artificial coloring) most of the time.