RFK Jr. calls artificial food dyes 'poisonous.' Here's how they're regulated in Canada

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to signifier retired immoderate nutrient dyes.

While immoderate of that effort predated the 2nd Trump medication — similar banning reddish dye No. 3 from foods successful January — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced connected Tuesday a database of 8 artificial dyes to beryllium eliminated from nutrient and medications by the extremity of 2026.

Kennedy, who has agelong criticized artificial nutrient dyes, called them "poisonous compounds."

Some of his views, including connected vaccines and autism, beforehand ideas that person been wide debunked and criticized arsenic harmful.

This is simply a spot much nuanced though. Here is simply a information check.

Are artificial nutrient dyes harmful?

At the Tuesday announcement, Kennedy and FDA commissioner Marty Makary said there's a imaginable nexus betwixt depletion of the dyes and wellness conditions similar ADHD, obesity and diabetes.

But they did not specify which studies they were referring to — and it's an country galore scientists accidental requires much robust research.

"The accusation retired determination is conscionable truthful minuscule successful the strategy of subject that it's truly hard to marque those generalizations," said Emily Acri, a objective dietitian astatine Yale New Haven Hospital.

Some studies person linked nutrient dyes with hyperactivity, similar a 2007 placebo-control survey of less than 300 children published successful The Lancet, a adjacent reviewed journal. But there's nary conclusive grounds proving the dyes origin ADHD — adjacent though scientists person been looking into the potential association for implicit 3 decades.

Other scientists person besides said the sweetener successful products with nutrient dyes — similar icing and sports drinks — could beryllium portion of the problem.

In 2023, the FDA said that "the totality of technological grounds shows that astir children person nary adverse effects erstwhile consuming foods containing colour additives."

Are those nutrient dyes already phased retired successful Canada?

At the property conference, Makary claimed the U.S. would beryllium catching up to Canada.

"The FDA is asking nutrient companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with earthy ingredients for American children arsenic they already bash successful Europe and Canada," said Makary.

But 7 of the 8 dyes the FDA wants to get escaped of are, successful fact, allowed successful Canada.

Citrus Red No.2, FD&C Green No.3, FD&C Red No.40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No.1 and FD&C Blue No.2 are each permitted successful Canada, with specified uses and thresholds connected the amount. 

As for the past 1 — Orange B — Health Canada said successful an email it is not allowed as a nutrient additive.

Some companies similar not to usage those dyes successful products; Froot Loops, for example, are made with synthetic nutrient dyes successful the U.S., portion they are made with fruit-based dyes successful Canada — an illustration Kennedy likes to cite.

Kellogg's Canada did not instantly respond to a petition from CBC News.

On Wednesday, Health Canada said it has assessed the nutrient colours successful question (which it uses antithetic names for: Allura Red, Brilliant Blue FCF, Citrus Red No. 2, Fast Green FCF, Indigotine, Sunset Yellow FCF, and Tartrazine) for information for their permitted use.

"If caller technological accusation becomes available, Health Canada would reappraisal and instrumentality enactment if a merchandise was deemed unsafe," the section said. 

"Canada, arsenic good arsenic galore different planetary regulators, uses a risk-based attack to managing nutrient additives. In Canada, the permitted uses of nutrient additives are mostly aligned with the regulators successful the EU, Australia and New Zealand, arsenic good arsenic with the uses accepted internationally successful the Codex General Standard for Food Additives."

Where bash synthetic nutrient dyes travel from?

As for Makary's notation to "petrochemical dyes," astir artificially coloured foods are made with synthetic petroleum-based chemicals, according to U.S.-based nutrition nonprofit Center for Science successful the Public Interest (CSPI).

Stephane Bayen, an subordinate prof and seat of the Department of Food Science & Agricultural Chemistry astatine McGill University successful Montreal, said immoderate synthetic nutrient additives person a petrochemical root and others don't. 

Do dyes adhd anything, nutrition-wise? 

Artificial nutrient dyes connection nary nutritional advantages, said Bayen. 

He says they're added for their sensory appeal, meaning to marque products similar brushed drinks, cereals and candy much visually attractive. 

In Canada, Bayen noted regulators spell done a hazard appraisal for nutrient additives including artificial nutrient dyes. They look astatine each of the technological lit connected the taxable and past comparison the dose expected successful the population, including children, to spot what could make a superior risk.

Bayen said he's not definite what subject the FDA based its quality determination on, adding Health Canada regularly reviews the lit for caller toxicology studies.

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To o.k. a colour additive to beryllium utilized successful food, the FDA's website said 3 criteria are considered:

• The types of foods successful which it is tin beryllium used.

• Any maximum amounts allowed to beryllium used.

• How the colour additive should beryllium identified connected the nutrient label.

Bayen said helium distinguished betwixt foods wherever consumers mightiness expect artificial dyes to beryllium present, specified arsenic candy, and dishes wherever they mightiness not be, similar a brightly coloured greenish spinach tortellini.

Instead, the user mightiness beryllium expecting the greenish hue to travel from a natural, works root — the spinach.

"The colour greenish makes sense," Bayen said. "But past erstwhile you look astatine the database of ingredients, you would find immoderate blue, often the superb bluish and the yellowish and combined together, they make this vibrant greenish connected the nutrient products."

Do nutrient colourings request to beryllium connected the label?

Yes, successful Canada, nutrient colourings are required to beryllium listed connected the statement for consumers to know, Bayen said.

Canadian regulators whitethorn instrumentality enactment if a nutrient merchandise contains a colour additive that is recovered successful a nutrient that's not approved.

"At the extremity of the day, you should not beryllium utilizing the nutrient colour to cheat the consumer," Bayen said.

In January, U.S. regulators said they were banning reddish dye No. 3, which gives immoderate candies and maraschino cherries a agleam reddish hue. At the time, Health Canada said it concluded that erythrosine oregon FD&C Red No. 3 does not airs a wellness hazard to the wide Canadian colonisation astatine the levels acceptable retired successful the List of Permitted Food Colours. 

How are U.S. nutrient brands responding?

Makary said the bureau would statesman the process of revoking authorization for 2 synthetic nutrient colourings wrong the coming months and would enactment with manufacture to destruct six different dyes by the extremity of adjacent year. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration successful a property merchandise said it plans to authorize 4 caller earthy colour additives successful the coming weeks, portion besides accelerating the reappraisal and support of others.

The Consumer Brands Association, which represents nutrient makers specified arsenic PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz, and the National Confectioners Association, which represents candy makers, some said precocious connected Tuesday that the ingredients successful their subordinate companies' products are safe.

In the U.S., W.K. Kellogg said it precocious met with Kennedy and is reformulating its cereals served successful schools to not see artificial dyes. The cereal manufacturers besides said it volition not motorboat immoderate caller products with artificial dyes opening adjacent year.