Coloring and Flavor Additives

While talking with a friend recently, I was asked about my opinion on artificial and natural colorings and flavors. I realized that I really didn’t have an educated opinion to give.

My instinct with everything is to go unprocessed and natural, but even flavors that are labeled as natural have been processed excessively and walk a thin line between natural and artificial. I say there is a thin line, because many of the flavor compounds are nearly the same and the only difference is the source material used to produce the compound. Because manufacturers want to buy just the essence of whatever flavor they want introduced into their foods, both natural and artificial flavors end up being very processed. In some cases, such as that of coconut flavoring the natural extraction process is more damaging to the environment and the flavor compounds are not even extracted from coconut (Scientific American).

Generally, I would recommend ingredient lists that are short and recognizable, but it is worth mentioning that everything we eat would be unrecognizable on a label if it were written out based on its full chemical composition. Some of these chemicals that sound scary are actually naturally found in many foods we eat, they have just been extracted and isolated. In addition, most flavor compounds are so potent that very very little is needed to flavor a food, thus the chance that these flavorings are causing harm is smaller than some might imagine.

That being said, most of the information above really only applies to flavorings. Some, particularly the food colorings that are numbered, have been shown to be carcinogens in many animal experiments and some human studies (mercola) yet the United States continues to allow these colorings to be used in large-scale food production.

“CSPI revealed that nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the United States are linked to health issues ranging from cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions -- and these results were from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself.” (Mercola)

Governments in Europe have made labeling of potentially dangerous artificial colorings mandatory and this law has decreased the used of said colorings because people are less likely to buy a product with a warning on it (Mercola). In the United States we still have the opportunity to purchase foods with these additives easily and do on a daily basis.

I would like to end this post with the idea that, as citizens of the United States, we should expect more, we should demand that artificial colorings that may be carcinogenic are labeled as such or removed from the food supply completely. How can studies about the dangers food dyes exist while these colorings are still being used without consequence or warning?

Next time you see a brightly colored product, think about whether or not that color should be there. Does is enhance the actual flavor? Or is it just there to catch the consumer’s attention. If it’s the latter, then, unless the source is a recognizable food, I would suggest you steer clear. Be suspicious.

Sources:

"What Is the Difference between Artificial and Natural Flavors?" Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 29 July 2002. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Mercola. "Toxic Food Dyes and Dangers of Artificial Food Coloring." Mercola.com. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.