Red dyes negatively impacting our food; AHS reacts

by Serena M.

Many students are seen often with red Gatorades, Takis, etc. from vending machines or alternative sources– and these dyes really aren’t good for you. In this article, I will be listing and citing the numerous various side effects they bring to youth and adults. Red dyes in food are discovered to have carcinogens that cause hypersensitivity and tumors. Inevitably leading to cancer it seems to be a blatant red flag. Red dyes should stop being added to food without warning labels.

What is red dye? It is known as a color additive used in not only our foods, but in most of our candies and chips. If you have never heard of it, you’ve at least ate it once. Americans are notoriously known for utilizing the accessibility of this ingredient, planting it in many of our foods. Though not many known effects that come along with it.

Obviously, an outcry would erupt if we outright banned red dyes. Universally foods and candies have been seen with this ingredient— but primarily America is the worst of them all. We would simply not be able to eradicate it and give up all the things we eat all the time. Students often walk around eating Takis, a significant snack known to contain red dye. Nonetheless, I feel it is urgent that we at least require a label on these foods, candies, etc. that spread awareness to what we are actually eating so that we aren’t ignorant.

Red dyes have a cancer causing agent called “Erythrosine” . It is used as red coloring and is discovered to cause tooth plaque. Causing awareness to some of the public, additional to the other alarming components in red dyes. Identifiable ones being cancer causing agents, with Erythrosine being one and numerous other things (benzine, carcinogens causing hypersensitivity and tumors).

Erythrosine, not only being something we put in our stomachs, is also something we apply to our faces. Unfortunately, Erythrosine is also put into cosmetics. Having cancer-causing properties, this is a blaring red flag. We should be more attentive to the things we use, especially if they endanger us. Scientists know both this and that they are putting it in numerous other things, leaving us a tinge of curiosity why.

Some studies claim that red dyes are linked to mental health issues and also ADHD. A lot of our generation seems to struggle with these issues, more mental health problems than the past and this generation also deals with more red dyes being put into their foods— therefore, it can bring reason to this.

As mentioned before that these red dyes have cancer causing agents, Scientists have tested it on animals. There were three types of animals that were discovered to be vulnerable, and so it was revealed that the red dyes were cancer causing. Scientists are still doing research on this matter whilst discovering more and more everyday.

Not only the other previously mentioned topics, but red dyes are also to leave you more susceptible to acquiring allergies since they are known to be linked to them.

Red dye has an average intake of 3.2 mg per pound of body weight each time you consume it. Many Americans prove unaware of this fact as time goes on. When a student was asked how much red dye was in their foods that they consumed daily they said: “I eat a lot of Takis, but I don’t know a lot about red dyes. I don’t think it would be in most of the suppers I usually eat like tacos or salmon.”

Ages two years and older have recently been proven by a study back in June that those age groups take in more red dye than those younger. Consuming a daily average of 0.042 mg per pound.

To learn more about red dyes, check out this article.