Artificial Food Colors

Artificial food colors are synthetic dyes manufactured from petroleum that have no nutritional value. Some of these are, however, neurotoxic and others contain carcinogenic components. 35 37l For example, some children whose diets contained artificial food colors were found to exhibit symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Removal of the artificial food colors from their diets eliminated the symptomsJ35 In vitro exposure to a mixture of blue 1 and yellow 5 was found to induce malignant cell transformation J38  

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Table 3. Commonly Used Artificial Food Colors...

In the past decade, general interest and research activities focusing on anthocyanins have considerably increased. This increased interest is not only based on the common knowledge that these water-soluble pigments can be used as possible alternatives to artificial food colorants, but also it relates to their bioactive properties. When search-... 

Mattes JA, Gittleman R. Effects of Artificial Food Colorings in Children with Hyperactive S3/mptoms. Archives of General Psychiatry 1981 39 714-718. 

I. Pollock, and J.O. Warner, Effect of artificial food colors on childhood behaviour. Arch. Dis. Child. 65 74-77, 1990. 

Many natural and artificial colorings (especially the natural ones because of the character of the antigen), used as color improvers in food products can be associated with adverse reaction, including allergenic hypersensitivity (Bosso and Simon 2008) (Table 14.4.3). Adverse hyperactive behavioral changes in children have been documented as caused by excess amounts of artificial food colorings and sodium benzoate preservatives in the diet (Bateman et al. 2004). 

Anonymous. The effects of a double blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colorings and benzoate preservative challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool children. Child Care Health Dev 2004 30(5) 561. 

Modified from data in Weiss B, Williams JH, Margen S, et a . (1980) Behavioral response to artificial food colors. Science 207 1487-1489. 

It is estimated that 28% of all chemicals used in commerce could be neurotoxicJ42l Common household products including air fresheners, fragrance products, marking pens, and mattress covers contain known neurotoxins. I43 461 The neurotoxic effects of marking pens are attributed to chemical mixtures. I46l Aspertaine, saccharin, artificial food colors, benzyl alcohol, and other excipients used in pharmaceutical preparations and foods are neurotoxins. I47 48 ... 

Many children who are diagnosed as hyperactive improve when put a diet devoid of artificial food colors, artificial flavors, and synthetic preservatives. 

Younger children are seemingly more sensitive to artificial food colors, artificial flavorants, and synthetic preservatives than older ones. 

In one study, I31l significant synergy was observed when the following commonly used mixtures of artificial food colors and flavorants were introduced in vitro ... 

Very little has been published about the neurotoxicity of artificial food colors, but Z-glutamic acid and aspartic acid are well-established neurotoxins. (Aspartame is rapidly hydrolyzed to release aspartic acid and two other neurotoxins, phenylalanine and methanol.) The two mixtures noted above synergistically inhibited the neurite outgrowth in mouse NB2a neuroblastoma cells to far greater extents than Z-glutamic acid and aspartame did alone without the addition of the artificial food colors. 

The two studies just cited are relevant because food colors, flavors, and preservatives are typically used in combination in processed foods. Such foods are generally consumed with other foods containing yet additional synthetic chemicals. Table 21.2 contains a list of artificial food colors,... 

Table 21.2 Artificial Food Colors, Flavors, and Preservatives and Their Values...

Further complicating the neurotoxicity of artificial food colors is the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows these to be contaminated with neurotoxic heavy metals J33 The standards for these are... 

Yellow dye 5 is an artificial food coloring approved by the FDA, but some people are allergic to this dye. Many candies contain Yellow 5 as part of a mixture to color the candies. Dye mixtures can be extracted from the candy and separated into their component colors using paper chromatography. The yellow food coloring that you buy in the grocery store contains Yellow 5 and can be used as a reference standard. 

The ability to stabilize is also part of green chemistry, for, if things last longer, there will be less need to replace them, and overall consumption will go down. Perpropionic acid can be stabilized by a-cyclodextrin so that 97% remains after 50 days at room temperature.228 Without the cyclodextrin 5% decomposes in just 11 days. The material may be useful for bleaching and disinfection. Some artificial food colors are of questionable toxicity. Some have already been removed from the market. Natural colors offer alternatives, but often lack the necessary resistance to heat and low pH. If cyclodextrins can stabilize colors, such as the red in beet juice, there might be no further need for the artificial colors. 

Rose TL The functional relationship between artificial food colors and hyperactivity. J Appl Behav Anal 11 439-446, 1978... 

Most stains consist of colored substances of natural origin belonging to the polyphenol, carotenoid, or chlorophyll class. Artificial food colorants, cosmetic ingredients, and decorative dyes complete the stain portfolio. Very often stains are complex mixtures of spilled food preparations or beverages. Combined with oils, fats, or other organic material, such as proteins, starch, or waxes, the properties of stains are quite different from those of isolated dyes. Only a small proportion of all stains is fixed on surfaces by physical adhesion. On fibers, in particular, strong interactions often result in covalent bond formation. This process is more important on cotton than on synthetic fabrics. 

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