Food coloring

I've read and heard so many things about the negative effects of food coloring. What they are made of and the possible effects it has on kids ~ and us for that matter.
Being St. Patrick's Day, I've always made green eggs, last year green pizza, green milk but I'm holding off this year. We are making pasta necklaces and I would normally dye the pasta but this year we are painting them instead.
I've always been a mom of everything in moderation but so much is unknown and the possible effects are enough to make me think it's best to hold off.

Was wanting to see how everyone weighs in here. There is such a diverse group of thinkers here...

Moderation is one thing you mentioned. Adding a couple drops to one of the food items for a "treat" is different than using a bottle of dye for the meal. It only takes 2-3 drops to colour the milk for instance. I would be using green foods instead for the day so cucumber and lettuce for lunch etc.

My gang is young and really have no concept of St. Patrick's day or any other day for that matter. I tend to totally gloss over a lot of the holidays as it interferes with our play, lol. Mine would not appreciate having their meal altered in any way and with lids on the cups the green milk wouldn't be seen.

We are experimenting with rubbings today. I printed out shamrocks on white paper and they will rub them over the texture plates with green crayons. While it is still a St. Patrick's day activity it is about the texture plate rubbing not the holiday.

You can make green eggs by adding some cooked spinach and blending it all in the blender...makes it more nutritious too! I would also go the route of naturally green foods rather than food colouring...I just don't see the necessity of adding it as the kids will be happy with other things ;)

I usually have all green food day for our St. Patrick's Day party and all red food for Valentine's Day. I agree that if I'm going to use a few drops of food colouring in cream cheese or vanilla pudding to add to the menu, then I will only do that to one item per day. My son had ADHD when he was small, not so much as an adult, but he would go crazy bonkers when he had a lot of food with dyes so I've always been careful about that.

Yup, in moderation, and on occasion. That's my motto. I freely admit that last year we had green apple juice for St Patty's day. We also did "naturally" green foods all day long. Spinach fettucine noodles for lunch, cucumbers, grapes, the list goes on.

I agree everything in moderation for sure ... where I can I use FOOD to color things we are going to eat ... we had an all green menu on Friday and did not use any food coloring ... purred kiwi with milk and ice cubes to make a milkshake makes it green for example. Pureed spinach in eggs, cream cheese and so forth tints it green and well there are hoards of naturally green foods.

I do use food coloring in 'icing' though because it is a treat and something we only have seasonally or for a birthday.

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Originally Posted by ganeshagro

Food colouring is not good in everything. Take only natural & pure things to eat. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy.

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Ganeshagro are you really in India? Are you a home daycare provider? I noticed you posted today in a few old threads.

moderation and on occassion here too.

i have not find any reliable data that says food coloring is bad for health and why. Some food dyes are extract from plants, which we eat daily.

Anyone have good medical/journal articles that explained why?

It will be interesting to know...as i made my home play dough and have food coloring for colors.

angie

Yes, and red food colouring comes from ground up beetles. That's natural too. Yummmm. :eek:

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Originally Posted by angelina

...Anyone have good medical/journal articles that explained why?

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Because in the interest of being more PROFITABLE most food coloring in our food in North America is not 'natural' at all but artificially made with chemicals to be cheaper and more 'stable' in foods that are processed and need long shelf life.

This is a story from 2011 where the FDA is actually reviewing the use of artificial food coloring and 'behavior / health' in human beings ... there are some links within it to research that while not perfect cause nothing ever is in science cause so many other factors can affect outcomes but there is 'enough' to raise concerns.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134962...-kids-behavior

This link below speaks to me as well cause it discusses the link between food dyes and children with ADHD and how to help them have more focus by limiting their access to food dyes...so research is not saying it 'causes' ADHD but it does complicate their symptoms.

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/food-dye-adhd

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Originally Posted by Momof4

Yes, and red food colouring comes from ground up beetles. That's natural too. Yummmm. :eek:

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I'm a gardener and the primary food source of Dactylopius coccus (bettles) is Opuntia (prickly pear cactus). Hence, it is organic, then it will easily decay, like eating any meat product --- if you pass the yuck factor. I love prickly pears cactus, and I would eat it regularly if it was not expensive. LOL, this bettle eat it for free? The fun facts of nature...

Another source of red dye - not bright red is the 4 o clock flower (Mirabilis jalapa). Again, organic, and easily water soluble, digestible, a plant source.

Pandan - source of green pigment is also a tropical plant with high fiber content, which decays at the rate of eating spinach.

Maybe, the ones we have now are synthetic, which releases carcinogen to our bodies, causing diseases such as cancers?

There was an article linking it to ADD, but then again, any synthetic food additives does not do any good to your body anyway. So, we avoid it, right?

I would have no idea what is the source of our food dye nowadays, as I buy them in pack of 4, small tiny bottles.

I used my food coloring to color my play dough, but not much on baking or cooking in general.

I also use them to color ice blocks for our sculpture project outside.

What else do you use food coloring for?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Inspired by Reggio

Because in the interest of being more PROFITABLE most food coloring in our food in North America is not 'natural' at all but artificially made with chemicals to be cheaper and more 'stable' in foods that are processed and need long shelf life.

This is a story from 2011 where the FDA is actually reviewing the use of artificial food coloring and 'behavior / health' in human beings ... there are some links within it to research that while not perfect cause nothing ever is in science cause so many other factors can affect outcomes but there is 'enough' to raise concerns.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134962...-kids-behavior

This link below speaks to me as well cause it discusses the link between food dyes and children with ADHD and how to help them have more focus by limiting their access to food dyes...so research is not saying it 'causes' ADHD but it does complicate their symptoms.

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/food-dye-adhd

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oh reggio, that was the article i was looking for, the link to ADD, thanks.

My son has ADHD, and as much as possible we avoid food colouring. Perhaps it's a coincidence, but when he eats something that has a fair amount of food colouring, (birthday cakes, gummy candies etc), I can actually see it "kick in". He goes bonkers.

My son was ADHD as well, and I knew exactly when he had food colour or sugar at a friend's house because he was bouncing like a kangaroo. It's not a coincidence JennJubie! You and I know the truth!

i too have a 9 year old son who has been diagnosed with ADHD, although we don't weigh on it a lot in conversation, we do recognize the effects certain foods have on him as well, sprinkles, major no no, oreo cookies put him in tears, doritos and cheetos, if he has any of those he goes goofy! so nice to know there are others out there who deal with the same things, makes me feel better....for years before the neuro appt and before we found out the actual diagnosis I fought so much with the fact that we could have been doing something wrong in his raising, jeejubie and Momof4 so hope we can be support for one another at times, I am def here to listen, I know how much of a struggle it can sometimes be having to handle this silly ADHD. So many people look at him and think he is such a bad kid or I am a bad Mom, some people just don't understand the reality of ADHD and the effects it can have on children and their parents, so nice to know you are out there! :) :)