Food dyes are unhealthy and pose health risks

Question

Synthetic food dyes can cause behavioral issues in some kids. Learn the health risks of food dyes—and how to avoid them.

Comments

Claims based on science can definitely be successfully validated  more often, and the source you used is known for being a credible source for scientific facts.

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I agree with the claim that food dyes are unhealthy and pose health risks. I found another article from The National Library of Medicine that adds to the effects and even states that food dyes can cause colorectal cancer. This source is very credible and is a good way to support this claim.

Answer 1

In an article by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there is evidence that supports your claim that food dyes can pose health risks. However, it does depend on the amount of dye and how they are being used. Linda Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Cosmetics states, “Color additives are safe when used properly" and "There is no such thing as absolute safety of any substance". The FDA does regulate color additives used in the U.S. in foods, drugs, cosmetics, and more. Because color dyes can be so harmful and cause many health problems, the FDA does not approve color additives that the agency has found to cause cancer in animals or humans. The article discusses possible reactions to color dyes, like itchiness and hives from FD&C Yellow No. 5. Clearly, food dyes can be unhealthy and pose health risks in many scenarios. It is important to know if your products are FDA certified and what you are actually putting into your body. 

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/how-safe-are-color-additives

Comments

I like the use of the FDA to respond to this claim. I also really appreciate the fact that you mentioned how safety depends on the amount used. Overall very good fact check!

Answer 2

After some digging into this claim, I came across a government study done by the OEHHA that concluded that kids can be sensitive to the synthetic food dyes and lead to neurobehavioral effects. The link connects to the government study where they declare that “The evidence supports a relationship between food dye exposure and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, both with and without pre-existing behavioral disorders.” (OEHHA). Essentially there is a relationship between the amount of food dye consumed by children and behavioral outcomes. I think the claim is misleading though because the food dyes aren’t unhealthy inherently, they may just cause behavioral issues. It’s a leap to state that synthetic food dyes are unhealthy.

https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/risk-assessment/report/healthefftsassess041621.pdf

Comments

Nice work! I like the summation of the study!

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I like this fact check because of the use of the correlation between two mediums and how it connects with food dye. Great source and wording in the end, and with the claim about the relationship between behavioral issues and unhealthy living.

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This fact check does a good job of explaining how food dyes are bad for kids and can cause some major health risks for them. Studies have shown that " synthetic food dyes may impact behavior in children prompted a review by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)." This backs up the statement that food dyes negatively affect children, causing them behavior issues and in some extreme cases health problems such as cancer. Therefore this fact check is accurate and backed up by good information.

Information from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9052604/