Yellow 5
Flavors + Colors
Potentially Harmful
Details
Definition
FD&C Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) is a synthetic azo dye that is manufactured through a chemical process. It is FDA approved for foods, drugs and cosmetics including drugs and cosmetics used around the eye. D&C Yellow 5 is no longer authorized by the FDA.
AKAs
Yellow #5,YELLOW NO. 5
Health Impact
Some people, especially children, may be sensitive to food dyes, and have experienced allergic reactions when consuming them. Artificial food dyes have also been linked to increased behavioral problems in children, especially those with ADHD, because they may cause chemical changes in the brain, inflammation, and depletion of minerals that are important to growth and development.
Sources
Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-022-00849-9Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3441937/Mechanisms of behavioral, atopic, and other reactions to artificial food colors in children
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23590704/Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risk
https://cspinet.org/sites/default/files/attachment/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdfColor Additive Status List
https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additive-inventories/color-additive-status-list#list3Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/color-additives-questions-and-answers-consumersReading ingredients made easy. For quicker, healthier decisions.
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