9 Products with Sneaky Food Dye (and what you can buy instead!)

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With Halloween rapidly approaching, I can think of no better time to talk about food dyes and how they affect our bodies. Food dye isn’t just in candy and food coloring — it’s in ALL kinds of foods and personal care products that we’re using. Let’s break down what they are, how they are harmful, and where they’re hiding in plain sight.

What are food dyes?

Food dye is a chemical substance derived from petroleum — yeah, the same petroleum that makes the gas in your car. They’re used in everything from baked goods, candy, and sauces, to personal care products and cleaning products. They are used strictly for aesthetic purposes — there is no health benefit to adding synthetic dyes to foods or personal care products.

Food dyes date back to the 1850’s back when they were derived from coal tar. There have been hundreds of food dyes developed over the years, but most have been found to be toxic and were taken off the market. A few prevailed, and the most frequently used dyes in today’s products are Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Caramel Coloring.

LET’S FACE IT, THEY AREN’T GOOD FOR YOU

Food dyes are used in a growing number of products, so while we may have only been exposed to a few sources of food dye in the past, we are inundated with it now.

It is well known that artificial food coloring can exacerbate behavioral problems in kids with ADHD, but now studies are finding that even children without ADHD are experiencing adverse behaviors when over consuming food dyes. Animal studies suggest that synthetic food dyes not only affect behavior, but they are impacting memory, learning, neurotransmitter function, and causing microscopic changes in brain structure.

In addition to behavioral changes in children, many of these food dyes are also shown to be carcinogenic, meaning they have the potential to cause cancer. Red 3 causes cancer in animals, and studies suggest Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 are commonly contaminated with benzidine, another known carcinogen.

WHERE ARE WE BEING EXPOSED?

Synthetic food dyes are popping up all over. You might immediately think of the obvious offenders — popsicles, gatorade, candy, and juice are the first ones that come to mind for me. But food dyes are extending far beyond these products, and they’re present in products you might not even think about. Let’s chat about some of the worst offenders.

9 products that contain sneaky food dye

Medications

Medicines like Tylenol and Aleve contain various food dyes in their outer coating. The purpose of these dyes is for aesthetics only, it does not aid in the effectiveness of the medication. As shown above, not only does Tylenol contain Red 40 and Yellow 6, but it also contains titanium dioxide and sucralose — two additional ingredients that have also been linked to cancer.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Some traditional medications are now offering dye-free options, but for all around better ingredients I recommend using companies like Genexa and Leefy Organics for your pain relief needs.

Farm Raised salmon

Farm raised salmon don’t eat smaller fish in the same way wild caught salmon do. Instead, they are fed fish feed derived from plants, grains, and fishmeal. This causes the meat in the salmon to naturally appear white, but this is not what consumers expect when they purchase salmon. So to alleviate that problem, salmon farmers will add artificial food coloring to the feed in order to give it the pink color.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Opt for wild caught salmon which will never have dye added to it. Wild caught salmon will naturally appear deep reddish orange due to the astaxanthin in their diet from eating shrimp and krill.

toothpaste + mouthwash

Oral care products are notorious for their food dye content. Toothpastes like Crest and Colgate contain food dye to make their toothpastes look more appealing, when in reality you are absorbing food dye through the surfaces of your mouth. Mouthwash is another big offender — why let your kids swish Blue 1 and Green 3 in their mouths? Especially when many kids aren’t adept at swishing and will swallow some or all of the mouthwash.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Brands like Risewell offer dye-free mouthwash and toothpaste with ingredients that are safe, non-toxic, and won’t harm your kids if they swallow it. Many store bought brands are offering dye-free options as well, just make sure to check the label.

BATH BOMBS

While it’s fun to watch the different colors swirl around your bathtub, these colors don’t come without consequences. Your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs up to 64% of the products you put on it. When you soak in your tub full of chemical dye, you are exposing yourself to these toxic chemicals on virtually every square inch of your body.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Opt for dye-free bath bombs or bubble bath, such as these options from Organic Bunny.

hand + dish soap

Ever wonder what gives dawn dish soap its bright blue color? Synthetic dye is used to make soaps more visually appealing, but do we really need to expose our skin to these harsh dyes in the name of being clean?

HEALTHIER SWAP: My favorite brand is Branch Basics for hand soap (bonus, that link saves you $10!). Seventh Generation also offers a dye free and fragrance free line of home products called Free and Clear that you can find at Target and Amazon.

pickles

If you see bright, neon looking pickles — they probably have dye. Yellow 5 and 6 are often added to pickles to brighten up their color as it can naturally fade the longer the pickles sit on the shelf. These dyes of course offer no nutritional benefit, so there is no reason to buy pickles with dye when dye-free options exist.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Always read the ingredient label when buying pickles and make sure you don’t see “Yellow 5” or “Yellow 6”. Many brands will use turmeric to brighten their pickles rather than dye, which is a much healthier option. Bubbies pickles are my favorite!

Chewing gum

For aesthetic purposes only, dye is added to gum to make it look like the flavoring inside of it. This is especially common with gums marketed to children, such as bubblegum and fruit flavored gum, but mint gum is not always an exception. The inside of your mouth is extremely absorbent, so chewing gum with artificial dyes is not ideal.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Pür gum offers a dye free (and aspartame free!) option that is better for you all around.

salad dressing

Red 40 and Yellow 5 and 6 are often added to salad dressings to make them brighter and more visually appealing. Even some ranch dressings have Blue 1 added to enhance the whiteness of it. Nothing like making a salad less healthy by adding chemical food dye on top! Always remember to read the ingredient label before purchasing salad dressing at the store.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Brands like Primal Kitchen and Tessemae’s are all dye free, plus they don’t use inflammatory oils like other popular brands.

marshmallows

It’s campfire season, so let’s make sure your s’mores are dye free. Similar to the ranch dressing mentioned above, Blue 1 is also added to marshmallows to make them appear brighter white for longer periods of time, as marshmallows can start to turn yellow the longer they sit on the shelf. So not only do they contain synthetic dye, but they also make it harder to tell how fresh your marshmallows really are.

HEALTHIER SWAP: Hammond’s brand offers dye-free marshmallows with organic sugar. If you can’t find dye-free marshmallows in the store, you can always make your own with this recipe!

The Takeaway

The best thing you can do for yourself and your family is read the ingredient label on everything you buy. Look for those synthetic food dyes, and opt for brands that are dye-free. Usually the healthier brand is right next to the unhealthy brand on the shelves, it just takes a little bit of effort on your part to ensure you’re getting the healthier option. Food dyes are sneaky and hide in products that you wouldn’t even think, so start reading those labels!