Artificial food dyes such as Yellow 5 provide no nutritional value, serving solely an aesthetic purpose. According to experts, however, not only do they provide no benefits, but they also have been linked with harmful side effects.
What is Yellow 5, and why is it added to food?
Yellow 5 is an artificial food dye added to food products to enhance the final coloring. It's most commonly added to cereals, sodas, gelatins, and spices, but it can also be used to brighten the yellow coloring of beauty products.
"Synthetic food dyes are added strictly for aesthetic reasons, specifically to give food products a brighter, more colorful appearance," director of food policy at Consumer Reports Brian Ronholm told The Cool Down. "There is no nutritional value associated with synthetic food dyes."
As a result, the use of Yellow 5 is strictly to alter a product's visual appeal, making the yellow coloring appear brighter, enticing consumers to purchase the product.
"[Synthetic dyes] are not preserving the food or otherwise performing any sort of essential function," principal scientist for food additives and science at the Center for Science in the Public Interest Thomas Galligan told The Cool Down. "It's purely just for marketing."
Is Yellow 5 safe?
Most synthetic dyes, including Yellow 5, are made from petroleum byproducts. Perhaps most famous for a debunked urban myth from the '90s that it shrinks male genitals, Yellow 5 does actually carry legitimate health risks that have been clinically observed.
Studies have linked Yellow 5 to problems including hyperactivity in children and genotoxicity, with researchers also linking the dye to carcinogenic contaminants.
Galligan referenced a 2020-21 assessment by California state scientists that concluded food dyes exacerbate neurobehavioral problems in some children. The researchers spent several years evaluating data based on human, animal, and in-vitro evidence.
"Studies have linked synthetic food dyes to inattentiveness, learning difficulties, and other adverse behavioral outcomes in children," Ronholm told The Cool Down. "A landmark study released in 2021 by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that many food dyes are known to make some children vulnerable to behavioral difficulties and decreased attention."
Why hasn't the FDA banned Yellow 5?
It's hard to pinpoint why the FDA has not banned Yellow 5 and other potentially harmful synthetic food dyes, or at least required more serious and noticeable warning labels. Experts describe a history that points to either a lack of motivation, a lack of resources, or a submission to lobbyists to leave the Yellow 5 and other dyes on the back burner.
"[The FDA] even said back in 1990 that they intended to ban it," Galligan told TCD. "Back then they said they were going to take steps to do so, but those steps never came."
Though the FDA has a clear obligation to prevent hazardous substances from entering food products, loopholes allow harmful chemicals to fall through the cracks.
In a landmark move earlier this month, the FDA did ban Red 3, which Galligan said was a step in the right direction. Other parts of the world have already taken action against the other synthetic dyes, though.
For example, since 2010, the European Union has required all foods that contain certain synthetic dyes, including Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, to have a warning label informing consumers that they may impact children's behavior. This requirement effectively eliminated the dyes from the food chain, like a "soft ban."
What should consumers do about Yellow 5?
Moving forward, consumers shouldn't panic but seek awareness. When purchasing food products at the grocery store, it's essential to read the labels.
"It's unfair that the current regulatory system creates an unfair burden on consumers, but it will require work from consumers to get educated on food additives and identify which ones to avoid," Ronholm told TCD.
Consumer Reports is also running a petition the public can sign to ask the FDA to ban the rest of the seven major synthetic food dyes, which TCD covered with a deep dive on artificial colors earlier this month.
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