Synthetic food dyes and other chemicals found in processed foods have been found to impact behavioral issues in children.

The public school system in California is in the process of attempting to ban these dangerous dyes. A report by OEHHA, “Potential Neurobehavioral Effects of Synthetic Food Dyes in Children,” discovered that the dyes affect each child differently. Still, the ones who are more sensitive to the dyes are more susceptible to extreme cases of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The study conducted to make this conclusion had children participating go on a strict no-dye diet for multiple weeks. Then, dyes seen as potentially harmful were added to their food and drinks to observe their behavior and learning activities with an intake of these dyes.

According to a summary of the report, “Overall, our review of human studies suggests that synthetic food dyes are associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects, such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and restlessness in sensitive children. The evidence supports a relationship between food dye exposure and adverse behavioral outcomes in children, both with and without pre-existing behavioral disorders.”

Some of the synthetic dyes used in the study include Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Blue No. 1. The three most impactful of these dyes are Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6. The most common foods with these dyes are juice/soda, ice cream, cereals, frosting, and candy.

Although the FDA has regulations on some of these synthetic dyes, the data used to make the guidelines are outdated. The FDA made the Acceptable Daily intakes of dye in the 1960s through the 1980s. In the recent decade, several new studies have suggested that the allowed intake of synthetic dyes is more than it should be. With the new data from these studies, the FDA is considering the effects of the harmful dyes and trying to determine if some of the dyes should be further limited or banned altogether.

In a large portion of European countries, some of these dyes, like Red No. 40, are strictly limited, and food containing them must have a warning on the label. Some advocates in the United States are pushing to have similar restrictions as those in European countries.