HealthLinksSC.com | 21 In 1990, when a study with rats seemed to indicate a connection between cancer and red dye no. 3, the FDA intervened, banning it from cosmetics and external medications but not from internal consumption. The agency discounted the original animal study as not providing enough concrete evidence supporting the dye’s potential to cause human cancer. Recently, 21 food agencies rallied behind the passage of California’s Food Safety Act, AB418, in an attempt to embarrass the FDA into taking further action against red 3. The California Environmental Protection Agency declares it has found direct links between artificial colorings, including red 3, and children’s changed behavior in more than 13 of 25 studies. Critics of the dye also point elsewhere, including Canada and the European Union, where no. 3 is either already banned, covered in warning labels or limited to only a handful of approved products. With 15,000 new or enhanced food products filling grocery shelves each year, the average shopper rarely stops to decipher the artificial additives lurking within. However, many parents of children struggling with attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other behavioral diagnoses are convinced of the negative connection and choose to purchase only products that are as free of artificial additives as possible. Also, health-conscious adults and those battling serious medical issues often choose clean eating as a way to strengthen and support their bodies. For all of these consumers, identi-
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