United States colorant problems

The average per capita consumption of food colors is about 50 mg per day. Food colors have been suspect as additives for many years, resulting in many deletions from the approved list. An example is the removal of FD C red no. 2 or amaranth in 1976. In the United States, it was replaced by FD C red no. 40. The removal from the approved list was based on the observation of reproductive problems in test animals that consumed amaranth at levels close to the ADI. As a consequence, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) reduced the ADI to 0.75 mg/kg body weight from 1.5 mg/kg. Other countries, including Canada, have not delisted amaranth. 

Sodic (black alkali) soils are a particularly difficult management problem. The water permeability of these soils to water is very slow. The pH of sodic soils is commonly greater than 9 or 9,5, and the clay and organic fractions are dispersed. Dispersed organic matter accumulates at the surface of poorly drained areas as water evaporates and imparts a black color to the surface, hence the name black alkali. Sodic soils are found in many parts of the western United States. In some locations they occur in small patches, slick spots, less than 0.5 ha in extent. Such patches occupy slight depressions, which become accentuated as surface soil particles disperse and are blown away by wind erosion. The percolation of insufficient water to satisfy plants and to control salinity is the main problem associated with sodic soils. In addition, their relatively low soluble-salt concentrations and high pH values can result in direct Na toxicities to the most sensitive plants. 

Red Phosphorus [7723-14-0]. This polymeric form of phosphorus is relatively nontoxic, not spontaneously flammable, and stable up to 450°C. In flnely divided, coated, and stabilized form it is available from Clariant, Rhodia, Ital-match, and Tosoh. It has been found to be a powerful flame-retardant additive (40) effective at relatively low loadings. In Europe, it is used in molded nylon electrical parts in a coated and stabilized form. Handling hazards and color have deterred usage in the United States. The development of masterbatches by Ital-match overcomes the flammable dust problem, but evolution of trace phosphine from reaction with water is still a concern (41). 

In many types of plant tissue, colorless materials are present which, upon treatment with mineral acids, are converted to red substances exhibiting many of the properties of anthocyanidins. The colorless compounds were given the names of leucoanthocyanins and leucoanthocyanidins by Rosenheim (6), These compounds probably represent a heterogeneous class. They may have an important part in bleaching and color-stabilization problems, particularly in the western areas of the United States, where many woods have a reddish rather than the more usual yellowish cast. Although work has been done, particularly by the Robinsons, the structures of the leucoanthocyanins have not been established definitely. 

The FNB-NRC recommends that many added sources of iodine in the American food system, such as iodophors in the dairy industry, alginates, coloring dyes, and dough conditioners, be replaced wherever possible by compounds containing less or no iodine. This recommendation was prompted because the iodine consumed by human beings has increased in recent years, and there is evidence that the quantity of iodine presently consumed in the United States is well above the nutritional requirement. Although there is no direct evidence of an increased human iodine toxicity problem because of the increased intake, there is some concern that if this trend continues, the greater iodine concentration may contribute to an increase in thyroid disorders. 

Tea contains colored flavonoid polymers, such as theaflavines, and polyphenols [14] which have a considerable affinity to nylon. In the United States, tea stain on carpets has been a lesser problem than coffee stains. The color of tea... 

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