Artificial food colorings and sugars commonly consumed by children: How much are we talking about?

This summary is based on the Commentary published in Clinical Pediatrics: Amounts of Artificial Food Dyes and Added Sugars in Foods and Sweets Commonly Consumed by Children (April 2015)

Laura J. Stevens, MS, John R. Burgess, PhD, Mateusz A. Stochelski, BS, and Thomas Kuczek, PhD

Context

• Artificial food colors (AFCs) are used to color many beverages, foods, and sweets in the United States and throughout the world.
• In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the AFCs allowed in the diet to 9 different colors.
• The FDA certifies each batch of manufactured AFCs to guarantee purity and safety.
• The amount certified has risen from 12 mg/capita/d in 1950 to 62 mg/capita/d in 2010.

Purpose of the Article

• The article reports the amounts of AFCs in commonly consumed foods and sweets, including the amount of sugars in each product.

Key Findings

• Amounts of AFCs reported here along with the beverage data show that many children could be consuming far more dyes than previously thought.
• Artificial food dyes are found in many beverages, foods, and candies commonly consumed by children in the United States and around the world. They are rarely found in what could be described as healthy foods and often contain a large amount of added high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose.
• Although beverages account for much of the AFCs and high-fructose corn syrup consumed by children, foods and sweets may also contribute considerable amounts, depending on the diet of a given child.
• Arnold et al stated in 2013, “Until safety can be better determined, we suggest minimizing children’s exposure to AFCs. With the current concerns about childhood obesity, there appears to be no need to make food look more attractive than its natural color.”^5(p607)
• Parents who wish to try an AFC-free diet should be encouraged to read ingredients lists on every food, candy, and beverage their children consume.
• AFCs can also be found in some toothpastes, mouthwashes, and both prescription and over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, cough medicine, and children’s vitamins.
• If Yellow #5 or any color with a number is in the ingredients list, the product should be avoided for an AFC-free diet as should products that list “color added” without specifying whether the color is from AFCs or natural dyes.
• Beverages, foods, and sweets that contain AFCs usually contain lots of added sugars and are rarely nutrient dense.
• All children should avoid high sugar diets because added sugars contribute to obesity, heart disease, diabetes,³⁸ and dental caries.³⁹

References

List of references (PDF)