20 | HealthLinksSC.com For health-conscious consumers, the hazards of red dye no. 3 have finally garnered national attention. California recently captured headlines not only by banning this artificial dye but by becoming the first state to outlaw a food product currently allowed by the Food and Drug Administration. Discovered in 1907, this synthetic dye, also known as erythrosine, immediately became popular for its brilliant red color. Originally derived from coal tar, today it is produced from petroleum and can be found in popsicles, candies, strawberry-flavored milks, Peeps, bubble gum, drinks, cereal, yogurt and fruit snacks. Less obvious are red 3-infused products such as loaded casserole potatoes and vegetarian bacon. Because food and trade groups are predictably reluctant to voluntarily relinquish the bright, flashy food colors that are so appealing to a massive children’s market, policing has been left to the FDA. “There is so much confusing and conflicting information around food additives and food in general,” said Paige Aberasturi, a registered dietitian with Start Fueling Better, a Charleston-area podcast and coaching service. “For example, the actual food packaging and marketing within stores misleads people.” Aberasturi helps her clients navigate the overwhelming world of food choices as well as the marketing ploys and traps that so often trip them up. HAZARDS AND DEBATE SURROUND RED DYE NO. 3 By Janet E. Perrigo
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