M&Ms, Skittles, and Starburst are just some of the American candies slowly removing artificial food coloring from their ingredients lists, but Red No. 40, Yellow No. 6, and Blue No. 1 are still relatively commonplace in the U.S.

This may seem strange, given recent food trends toward more natural, conscious eating: organic sales are up 10.8 percent, and nine out of ten Americans want GMOs to be labeled so they know what’s in their food. It’s even more surprising when you examine the piles of data that show the dangers of these artificial dyes. Artificial food coloring has been linked to organ damage, cancer, birth defects, and behavioral problems in children.

Perhaps the strangest thing of all, however, is that most large companies have already figured out how to make their products without artificial food coloring.

In 2010, after a study linked six common food dyes to behavioral problems, the European Parliament passed a law requiring warning labels on foods containing these dyes and prohibiting them in products marketed to children. Any company that sold their products in Europe had to replace artificial food coloring with natural colors for the European market (and could just as easily sell the less artificial version here…).

Some individual companies have even responded to the desire for less artificial food, including Mars, Papa John’s Pizza, Campbell’s Soup, General Mills, and Kellogg, by opting to ditch artificial colors of their own accord.

So… why on Earth hasn’t the FDA stepped in to ban food coloring yet?

Facing the same evidence as the European Parliament, the FDA deemed the causal relationship between behavior problems and food colorings inconclusive. Though other studies and research continue to show this causality, the FDA has yet to put its foot down.

According to a recent Slate article, one key reason is the difference between how public health decisions are made in the U.S. and in Europe. In the E.U., the “precautionary principle” is applied, which basically says that even if something might cause damage to human health, it should be removed from public use. The U.S., on the other hand, requires proof of harm before taking action, and the proof presented by scientists has not been deemed sufficient quite yet.

But there’s one more major reason why food coloring persists in the U.S.: pretty colors help companies sell food.

Food marketed to children sells better when it features bright colors, because it more easily catches the eye of children, according to the Handbook of Pediatric Nutrition. Today, over half of foods marketed to children contain artificial dyes. And kids aren’t the only ones being wooed by food coloring.

Commercial butter is often dyed yellow when a cow’s diet does not contain enough carotene to give it its natural golden hue. Certain yogurt companies, such as Yoplait, include food coloring in fruit yogurts to reflect the color of the fruit flavor.

Maybe it’s up to us to modify our expectations of what our food should look like, before we can demand the FDA to take a stand against food coloring once and for all.

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Colorful candy image via Shutterstock

The post Why Hasn’t the FDA Banned Food Coloring Yet? appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s that time of year again–time to go red, white, and blue. But saluting our nation’s independence doesn’t have to mean diving head deep into a holiday feast loaded with artificial colors. With a little creativity you can enjoy Fourth of July recipes sans food dyes.

1. Patriotic Fruit Pizza

Image: Liz West

It’s a fruit pizza with ample Fourth of July bling. I love Fourth of July recipes that use fruit for color. Make a sweet pizza pie crust from scratch and then load it up with blueberries, strawberries, and bananas to symbolize our nation’s stars and stripes. While the recipe does call for quite a bit of butter, remember the pizza is meant to feed a crowd (35 servings).

Patriotic Fruit Pizza
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks organic butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) packages organic cream cheese, softened
3 large organic bananas, sliced – or as needed
1 tbsp. lemon juice, or as needed
1 carton fresh strawberries, sliced
1 container fresh blueberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the butter and beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.

3. Add in flour and make the mixture into a workable dough. Spread the dough out evenly on a 12 x 17 inch baking sheet.

4. Bake until lightly browned for 8-10 minutes. At the same time, combine the cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

5. Place sliced bananas in lemon juice to prevent browning.

6. Once the pizza crust has cooled, begin to decorate the pizza. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly across the cookie layer. Place blueberries in a neatly lined square in the upper left corner of the crust. Arrange alternating stripes of white bananas and strawberry slices. Serve your masterpiece.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

2. Festive Ice Cubes

Image: Liz West

This recipe isn’t nearly as complicated as the fruit pizza, but it’s still gorgeous.

Festive Ice Cubes
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
Ice cube trays

Method

1. Place 2 blueberries and 2 raspberries each slot in an ice cube tray and add in water. Freeze until solid.

Tips: For added flavor and color, consider filling the ice trays with fresh mint leaves. You can also add lemonade to make your ice cubes a Fourth of July sweet treat.

3. Fourth of July Potato Chips

Image: urbanfoodie33

Nature’s rainbow makes these homemade potato chips festive–think beets and purple potatoes. I confine my intake of potato chips to those I make on my own and this is an awesome Fourth of July recipe.

Fourth of July Potato Chips
Serves 6

1/2 pound baking potatoes, such as russet or Idaho
1/2 pound purple potatoes
1/2 pound beets, peeled, and greens removed
6 cups vegetable or canola oil
Kosher or sea salt

Method

1. Use a mandoline or a sharp knife to slice the potatoes and beets 1/8-inch thick. Fill a large bowl with cold water and soak the potatoes for 5 minutes.

2. Transfer the potatoes to large towel and dry them off thoroughly.

3. Fill a deep, heavy bottomed pot with 4 inches of oil and heat oil to 350 degrees F.

4. Work in batches and be sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry the potatoes first and then the beets. Use a slotted spoon to remove rounds when they’re golden brown. Salt immediately. Place on another large towel to remove excess grease.

Recipe: Epicurous

4. Vegetarian BLTs with American Flag Bling

This Fourth of July recipe takes a different tact entirely. Instead of adding food dyes to your food, decorate them with American flag toothpicks. It celebrates July 4th without impacting the flavor of your food.

Vegetarian BLTs with American Flag Bling
Serves 4

1 package tempeh bacon, skillet fried
4 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled (1 1/2 pounds)
Focaccia
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
1/4 cup organic mayonnaise
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced

Method

1. Slice your focaccia into four even servings.

2. Slather focaccia with mayonnaise. Place 2-3 Bibb lettuce leaves on one side of each sandwich. Place a slice of tomato on the other side of the sandwich. Slice 1/2 of an avocado and add to the each sandwich. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Add 2 slices of tempeh bacon to each sandwich. Close the sandwich and garnish with an American flag toothpick.

Related on EcoSalon

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Outdoor Entertaining: 11 Essentials For a Backyard July 4th Bash

Fourteen Pieces for July 4th Trivia

Image: Rubbermaid

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