Kennedy to announce plan to remove artificial dyes from the nation’s food supply
Kennedy to announce plan to remove artificial dyes from food and beverages
I'm in Canada where we have restricted some food dyes. I miss the old colours of Froot Loops and Smarties (similar to M&Ms, not rockets). But it's fine because those colourants really do only exist to make junk food look good.
It's not clear to me the exact scope of what they consider to be artifical dyes though. Is a dye produced by a genetically modified bacteria natural enough?
Conservatives have been saying that Dems want to force them to eat bugs, so it's a little strange to be tacitly encouraging the use of Natural Red 4 which is made from crushed beetles.
The fun thing about "natural" vs "artificial" dyes is pretty nothingburger in reality. The manufacturers of chemical dyes, scents, etc. just generate the chemical by whatever means. If it's a "natural" flavor/scent/color it is derived from something like a beetle or a flower. If it's "artificial" it is derived via a chemical process. The end product is the same.
Reminds me of some years back when Starbucks answered the cry of, "but we don't want artificial flavors/colors in our coffee!" so they started using a red dye for one of their drinks that was derived from crushed up beetle shells. People then freaked out, "I don't want to drink beetle shells!!!!!!"
TL;DR: The end product is the same, whether it be natural or artificial. The real concern, is if the product should really be consumed at all.
The Big Brains like RFK Jr. likely lack the mental capacity to understand such concepts, so all the dyes will become "natural" and stick around, and just increase the number of purée'd parakeets. Basically, another shitty cup game.
TL;DR: The end product is the same, whether it be natural or artificial. The real concern, is if the product should really be consumed at all.
This is hot crap. They are different chemicals, the end product is not the same and you're spouting misinformation.
Most of the artificial dyes that people have banned in countries other than the USA are derived from petrochemicals. Natural dyes have been in use far longer and have been shown to have fewer negative health outcomes.
Eg. Red dye containing bugs (cochineal, E120) has no known health effects except to an extremely small percentage of the population whom are allergic to bugs, hence it is marked as an ingredient when used, to alert those with allergies. Its replacement alternatives are:
And that's just red dye.
You're talking about different chemicals as a comparison not a 1:1. I'll concede that some dyes may indeed exist only from chemical derivation. However, many do not. We've already put more thought into this than RFJ Jr. has, btw. (Not all dyes referenced below are foodsafe, to be clear, just a quick comparison chart.)
Random table of dyes that can be derived both ways:
| Dye Name | Natural Source | Synthetic Production | Chemical Formula | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indigo | Indigofera tinctoria (plant) | From aniline via Baeyer-Drewsen synthesis | C₁₆H₁₀N₂O₂ | PubChem, Shepherd Textiles |
| Alizarin | Rubia tinctorum (madder root) | From anthraquinone | C₁₄H₈O₄ | Wikipedia, PubChem |
| Tyrian Purple | Murex sea snails | Bromination of indigo | C₁₆H₈Br₂N₂O₂ | Wikipedia, PMC Article |
| Cochineal (Carminic Acid) | Dactylopius coccus (insect) | Complex synthesis; often insect-derived | C₂₂H₂₀O₁₃ | PubChem, Wikipedia |
| Curcumin | Curcuma longa (turmeric root) | Lab synthesis possible | C₂₁H₂₀O₆ | PubChem, Wikipedia |
| Lawsone | Lawsonia inermis (henna leaves) | From 1,4-naphthoquinone | C₁₀H₆O₃ | Wikipedia, ACS |
| Betanin | Beta vulgaris (beetroot) | Rarely synthesized due to complexity | C₂₄H₂₆N₂O₁₃ | Wikipedia, PubChem |
| Quercetin | Various plants (e.g., onions, apples) | Can be synthesized; mostly extracted | C₁₅H₁₀O₇ | Wikipedia, PubChem |
