California has become the first state to prohibit school cafeterias from serving foods that contain six artificial dyes tied to health and behavioral problems.
Governor Gavin Newsom, signed Assembly Bill 2316 into law on September 29, 2024. This legislation, called the California School Food Safety Act, prohibits the use of Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3 in meals, beverages, and snacks provided at public schools across the state.
How many U.S. products use those additives? We decided to figure it out 👇
—In total, over 51,000 products—12% of everything in the USDA database—contain these additives.
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Amid recent protests targeting Kellogg’s use of synthetic food dyes in popular breakfast cereals, we took a closer look: Nearly one-third of The Kellogg Company products in the USDA database contain synthetic dyes banned in California schools.
Colorants are pigments added to food products to enhance or preserve their original color, making them more appealing. When we consume food, its appearance can significantly influence our liking or aversion to it. Manufacturers may use such additives because the processes involved in product preparation, along with factors like oxygen, humidity, or light, can cause the natural colors of the food to deteriorate over time. Additionally, manufacturers may aim to offer consumers products with vibrant colors to attract a specific target audience.
There are generally two types of colorants:
Natural colorants can be extracted from animal, plant, or mineral sources. These natural colorants tend to have a lower tinting strength than artificial ones, which means that higher doses are needed, increasing the cost for manufacturers. They are also more unstable in response to external conditions, and some may even alter the smell or taste of the food.
Some examples of natural colorants include curcumin, which is obtained from the turmeric plant and is commonly used to flavor and color dishes like curry. Another example is cochineal carmine, a red colorant extracted from the shells of female Coccus cacti L insects, which is also widely used to tint meat products, candies, and beverages.
Synthetic colorants are pigments obtained through chemical synthesis. They cover the entire color spectrum and have a purer pigment than natural colorants, allowing them to be more effective in smaller quantities, thus reducing costs. Their color is more durable, and they have always been a topic of debate due to their potential harmful effects on the health and behavior of children.
Popular candies, snacks, and beverages are often filled with bright colors and synthetic colorants designed to attract the attention and consumption of a younger audience. These colors evoke fun and energy, characteristics that young people seek in their food.
Since 2010, Europe has had regulations requiring any food or drink containing one or more of the six artificial colorants (Tartrazine, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Carmoisine, Ponceau 4R, and Allura Red)—except for beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol—to include a warning on the label stating that the color "may have effects on activity and attention in children."
In 2011, the Food Advisory Committee (FAC) of the U.S. FDA examined the link between synthetic color additives and hyperactivity in children. They found no causal relationship but recommended further research on potential developmental and neurotoxic effects and a comprehensive exposure assessment for these additives.
In 2021, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) published a compilation of studies highlighting:
"The body of evidence from human studies indicates that synthetic food colorants are associated with adverse neurobehavioral outcomes in children and that children vary in their sensitivity to synthetic food colorants. Overall, our review of human studies suggests that synthetic food colorants are associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects such as inattention, hyperactivity, and restlessness in sensitive children. The evidence supports a relationship between exposure to food colorants and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, both with and without pre-existing behavioral disorders.”
These colorants are commonly found in ultra-processed products such as candies, snacks, and sodas. However, beyond the potential risk associated with a possible link between these colorants and behavioral issues, there is another concerning factor: the low nutritional value of these products and similar items that may not contain colorants.
By choosing foods with poor nutritional profiles, children are replacing balanced, nutritious meals rich in whole foods with brightly packaged chips and sugary or artificially sweetened sodas. This dietary choice not only affects children's health in the short term, as they are in a critical stage of growth, but also influences their food decisions as adults. Establishing healthy habits from a young age helps maintain them into adulthood. Therefore, educating and promoting nutrition among young children is crucial for ensuring a more ethical and healthier society.
Since the food laws in California won’t be amended until after 2027 and are not regulated across the entire United States, our supermarkets will still carry products containing these additives.
To address this, we’ve developed a warning system that allows you to scan your purchases with GoCoCo to find out if your products contain artificial colorants that are not recommended for children.
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We obtained publicly available data from the USDA, collected in 04/2024, and used this dataset as is (source). To ensure the quality of our analysis, we eliminated products with incomplete information (ingredients, category, etc.), leaving us with a dataset of 439,083 products.
In this analysis, we searched for the presence of at least one of the six synthetic dyes mentioned in the California bill: Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3.
It’s important to note that many products contain more than one of these dyes, but for our report, the presence of any single dye was sufficient to classify a product as containing synthetic color additives. Our figures are conservative and likely understate the true prevalence of these additives.
Additionally, since the USDA dataset relies on self-reporting by manufacturers, there is potential for errors in categorization, product listings, or brand names. We used the information as reported, without making additional changes or corrections. As a result, any misreporting or mislabeling by manufacturers could influence the accuracy of specific brand or category assignments. Furthermore, the USDA dataset may not reflect every product currently available in the U.S, especially those introduced or reformulated after the dataset was compiled.
