Food dyes should be banned

Considering the numerous studies conducted over the past 30 years, Kemp is right in urging physicians to routinely encourage patients with hyperactivity to avoid food dyes.¹ However, considering the dyes’ lack of health benefit and the risk they pose, the proper public health approach is for national governments to ban the use of all food dyes. After all, it is extremely difficult, firstly, for a parent to determine that a child is sensitive to dyes and, secondly, for parents to protect easily tempted children from tasty colourful foods that are served at parties; sold at stores, restaurants, and vending machines; and traded among friends.

The British Food Standards Agency deserves credit for encouraging manufacturers and restaurants to switch to safer, natural colourings. As a result of government pressure, Kellogg, McDonald’s, Kraft, Mars, and other multinational companies now market foods without dyes in Britain, but market the same foods with dyes in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration maintains flatly that well controlled studies conducted have produced no evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children.²