22 | HealthLinksSC.com fying and eliminating questionable foods containing red 3 and other additives can be a major difficulty. “Food allergies, food intolerances and food sensitivities work differently within the body and are all tested differently. Some tests are more reliable than others. I work with children and food sensitivities, and I can say that even babies can be tested for these,” Aberasturi explained. “It’s not uncommon for someone to have symptoms related to food additives, but parents have no idea that is the case. There are so many different things added to our foods that it can be extremely challenging to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms on your own.” The good news is that at least some companies in the food industry appear to be listening to consumer concerns. Red 3 has already been removed from Skittles and M&M's candies. While returning to natural dyes such as cabbage, turmeric, beets and paprika may not be as cost-effective to produce, a steadily growing sector of health-conscious American families will be watching and appreciating further food-industry upgrades. FOOD ADDITIVES By the Numbers More than 10,000 FOOD ADDITIVES have been approved by the FDA. (healthychildren.org) Consumers buy more than 400,000 packaged products each year, with half of them containing at least THREE food additives. (upi.com/Health_News) The U.S. food industry spent $2.4 BILLION in food advertising in 2022. (statista.com/statistics) In a recent review, 64% of 4,000 APPROVED ADDITIVES had no research showing them to be safe for eating or drinking. (healthychildren.org) Americans are eating more processed foods every year, and approximately 60% of our consumption has some form of artificial food additive, including dyes, preservatives or sweeteners. (upi.com/Health_News) Why Red Dye? ‘We Eat First With Our Eyes.’ First-century Roman merchant, food lover and one of the first recorded cookbook authors, Marcus Gavius Apicius, once matter-of-factly observed, “We eat first with our eyes.” For centuries, this simple truth has been the driving force behind the development of thousands of synthetic dyes and preservatives. Cleverly incorporated, these additions coax unsuspecting consumers to desire every attractive new food product and menu delicacy that hits the market. The food industry employs enormous amounts of money and manpower to this end. Unfortunately, while hundreds of harmful additives have been weeded out over the years, many new and remaining artificial dyes have not been adequately tested for safety, including those used in combination with other food chemicals.
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