Food Colouring May Cause Severe Stomach Issues: Which Colour Is The Worst?

Common Foods That Contain Food Colouring

A number of foods we consume on a daily basis contain artificial food dyes, each of which is used in a different way and may cause various health concerns [4].

Despite the fact that all food dyes in products must be approved by the FDA, controversy persists concerning the safety of synthetic and artificial colours, especially when it comes to children.

Below is a list of foods that contain artificial colouring [5]:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Balsamic vinegar
• Processed bread
• Microwave popcorn
• Pickles
• Bottled salad dressing
• Chewing gum
• Yoghurt
• Energy bars
• Instant flavoured oatmeal
• Cereals
• Candy
• Artificially flavoured drinks
• Baked goods
• Chips (BBQ and other flavours)

Types Of Food Colouring

Blue Dye #1: Also referred to as Brilliant Blue or Blue 1, this artificial food colourant is often found in baked goods such as cakes, cupcakes and cake pops to give them a bright colouring. As well as ice creams, canned peas, popsicles, and icing sugar, this dye can also be found in a variety of drinks, desert powders, and cereals.

Blue #2: Known also as Indigotin and Indigo Carmine, Blue #2 is the only artificial food dye that does not contain petroleum. In addition to bright beverages like sports drinks and energy drinks.Blue No. 2 is also found in candy, pet food, and drugs.

Citrus Red #2: Although this Citrus Red No. 2 has been found to increase bladder cancer and tumours in rats and mice [6], it is still present in low levels in the orange skins that are dyed to give them their vibrant colour. In comparison to other dyes, it is less commonly used.

Green # 3: A sea green or turquoise dye called 'Fast Green FCF' can affect even those who don't eat sweets or brights. This dye is found in a wide range of cosmetics, drugs, lipstick, and body cream products as well as processed vegetables, canned peas, and fish.

Red Dye #3 (Erythrosine): It is found in sausage casings, canned fruit and many oral medications.

Red #40 (Allura Red): One of the most commonly used and consumed food dyes on the market is red #40 - Allura Red (which is orange red in colour). This food dye can be found in cheese-flavoured potato chips, cereals, candies, beverages, barbecue sauces, fruit bars, and even ice tea.

Yellow Dye #5: For centuries, food colourants like Tartrazine have been added to baked goods, pet food, candies, cereals, desserts, powdered drinks, and cosmetics. Many foods and cosmetics use this yellow dye as an additive.

Yellow #6: It is also known as Sunset Yellow and is more orange in colour than it's Yellow #5 counterpart. It can be found in a wide range of foods, cosmetics, and drugs, including cereals, beverages, candies, jellies, sausages, cosmetics, and drugs.

Which Food Colouring Is Bad For Your Health?

There are seven main synthetic food dyes that appear in many of the foods we consume on a daily basis [7]. Each dye has a different purpose and may result in a variety of health concerns. There are a number of common food colours, including allura red, brilliant blue, tartrazine, sunset yellow, quinoline yellow, and indigo carmine.

According to reports, the most commonly used artificial food colouring in India is red - the one that gives the chicken tikka and paneer masala from your favourite restaurant its colour [8]. Essentially according to the current study, it is the same red food colouring that can cause several health issues including intestinal inflammation and colon cancer [3].

How Does Food Colouring Affect Our Health?

Here are the important points from study:

Point 1: Irritable bowel syndrome is linked to diet, increasing evidence suggests.

Point 2: A number of common food colorants were examined in the study, including AR, Brilliant Blue FCF, Sunset Yellow FCF, and Tartrazine Yellow.

Point 3: Research showed that mice exposed to AR in early life were more likely to develop colitis. Colitis is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation of the inner lining of the colon.

Point 4: It has been found that all of the colourants promote serotonin secretion, but AR has the strongest effect.

Point 5: Researchers found that intermittent exposure to AR, which is similar to human exposure, did not increase susceptibility to colitis in mice. Mice consuming AR daily, however, developed mild colitis, accompanied by elevated serotonin levels and poor absorption of intestinal nutrients.

Point 6: Researchers have found that this common synthetic food dye may trigger IBDs. This valuable evidence is an important step in alerting the public to the risks associated with the food dyes we consume on a daily basis.

Consumption of Allura Red may also have other health consequences. The drug may affect certain allergies, immune disorders, and behavioural problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [9][10].

On A Final Note...

While there is no conclusive evidence that food dyes are harmful to most people, they may cause allergic reactions in some people and hyperactivity in sensitive children, and long-term consumption may result in severe health problems. The majority of food dyes are found, however, in unhealthy processed foods which should not be consumed.