Is red 40 poison?

Question

This article claims that a substance found in food and drink that we consume daily is poisonous to humans especially those with ADHD or an allergy. Although this substance is approved by the FDA there is evidence that would support its ban. There is evidence that suggest red 40 contains a benzene that causes cancer amongst other varying side effects.

Comments

This claim is totally true. As someone who did suffer from allergy to food coloring, red 40 especially, I can confirm that with the article below it proves that there are very harmful effects with food coloring including red 40 and other edible colorings similar to it.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40

Answer 1

This article claims that red 40 is unhealthy for humans, particularly those with ADHD and/or other allergies. Based on the article, it lists off 40 side effects like hyperactivity, watery eyes, skin irritation, and/or sneezing. The article just states the facts but doesn't have much evidence to back up their claim. While it's known that Red 40 isn't good for you, they need more information and sources to make their claim more believable. This is misleading and overall needs a stronger case to support its initial claim.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/red-dye-40

Comments

You did a good job reviewing the source used in the original claim. One area you could improve on in your fact checking would be cross-checking the information in the original article and comparing it to some other verified evidence. It would make your claim much stronger if you were able to cite and quote some contradicting or disproving information to solidify why the claim is exaggerated/misleading.

Answer 2

The answer may vary depending on how you look at it. As you stated, according to the FDA, Red 40 is safe for consumption. The definition of poison according to Oxford Languages is "a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed." Red 40, if consumed a lot over time, can cause illness or death but will not have instant impact on someone if they only consume a small amount. Red 40 at this point is definitely proven to be harmful and should be avoided for consumption to avoid risk, but I could see an argument for that not qualifying as poisonous.