As Companies Ditch Cancer-Causing Dyes, Kellogg Clings to Artificial Colors

When most shoppers reach for Kellogg's strawberry-flavored, Nutri-Grain cereal bars, they likely assume that the snacks get their hue from, well, actual strawberries. Or if that alluringly red fruit filling didn't come from real berries, it must at least be the result of other natural ingredients, right? Unfortunately, shoppers would be wrong in making both of those assumptions — in America, that is.

Check a box of strawberry Nutri-Grain bars sold in America and you'll notice that the treats contain synthetic food dyes like Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 1 (pdf). Shoppers on the other side of the pond buying the same products, however, will see that their bars get their colors from all-natural beet root, annatto, and paprika extract.

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars are hardly the only American food products whose ingredients differ from those of their European counterparts. A Fanta soda sold in the States gets its shockingly orange hue from Red 40 and Yellow 6. U.K. consumers can thank pumpkin and carrot extract for creating the bold-colored beverage. McDonald's strawberry sundaes sold in the U.S. rely on Red 40. In the U.K. those sundaes get their red sauce from — gasp! — actual strawberries. And while America-sold Tostitos Hint of Lime chips contain Blue 1 and Red 40, the snack's U.K. version lists no food colorants whatsoever.

While countless U.S. foods contain synthetic food dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, these goods' European counterparts regularly get their colors from all-natural extracts. "Food safety officials in Europe have moved much more quickly to protect children from artificial dyes," the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said in a press release. "The British government has urged companies to stop using most dyes, and the European Union requires a warning notice on most dyed foods. As a consequence, the Kellogg Company, Kraft, McDonald's and other American companies that do business in Europe use safe, natural colorings there — but harmful, synthetic petrochemicals here."

The difference in ingredients comes at the expense of American consumers' health. Studies link artificial dyes like Red 40 to behavioral problems and hyperactivity in children. Some synthetic dyes — like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 — contain cancer-causing compounds, while others have been linked to allergic reactions. As Europe cracks down on the use of these noxious, processed colors, America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fails to regulate their use despite mounting evidence that these dye cause health problems. So while some companies like Kellogg have ditched synthetic food dyes from their European products, they continue to pump American-sold foods full of artificial colors in order to maximize profits. It's a discrepancy that's caused Americans' intake of artificial dyes to skyrocket to five times more than the amount folks consumed 30 years ago.

While Kraft, McDonald's, Kellogg, General Mills, and Mars continue to use millions of pounds of synthetic dyes every year, some companies are voluntarily eliminating these chemicals. According to CSPI, Starbucks doesn't use artificial colors in any of its beverages or pastries, while famed candy maker NECCO ditched dyes from its wafers. Frito-Lay is also experimenting with dye-free foods.

The FDA recently said it would (finally) examine artificial dyes' potential impacts on children's health, but restricting these harmful chemical could still be awhile off — if this kind of regulation ever happens. In the meantime, it's up to consumers to demand that companies rid their products of dangerous dyes. It's clear that safe alternatives exist because food producers are already using them in Europe. Sign our petition asking the Kellogg Company to use only all-natural colorants in its foods, as the company does in the U.K.

Photo credit: Dan Taylor via Flickr