Significant Misinformation in RFK Jr.’s Comments on Food Dyes

FactCheck.org recently shared a helpful fact-check of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments on food dyes. You are going to want to read this article for a science-based examination of the actual evidence surrounding the safety of synthetic food colorings.

Hits and Misses in RFK Jr.’s Comments on Food Dyes - FactCheck.org

This is a really great article! It explains very well how absolutely wrong RFK Jr. is in his recent comments about the safety of the synthetic food colors. This article is very factual and makes it clear that there is no data showing that these colors cause cancer and that there is also no significant data that shows that these colors cause hyperactivity.

Read the section titled: "Food Dyes Not Established to Cause Human Cancers" to get the facts related to the nonsense about cancer being spewed by RFK Jr. and various non-credible consumer groups like CSPI and EWG!!

Concerning RFK Jr's comments about hyperactivity and ADHD, here is what Dr. Ronald Kleinman, a pediatrician who studies nutrition at MassGeneral Hospital for Children had to say about the facts:

"I think that taken as a whole, there really is very little convincing evidence that food coloring contributes to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and banning them for that reason seems to me to be out way ahead of where the evidence is right now,”

The article also clears up the untrue comments being made these days stating that these colors are banned everywhere else. It states: "Kennedy is also incorrect in categorically stating that food dyes aren’t used in any other country. Regulations on food dyes vary around the world, and companies have reformulated some foods to eliminate synthetic dyes for certain markets. The European Union, for example, requires that foods containing certain food colors have warning labels stating that they “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” However, synthetic food dyes are allowed outside the U.S."

In fact, these colors are allowed in Europe and in most of the countries of the world and even in Europe, their own EFSA scientists reviewed the Southampton studies discussed in this article and concluded that there was no need for a warning label because these studies were flawed and did not show any causal link to hyperactivity. However, the politicians in the EU Parliament went ahead and required this warning label anyway because this issue had gotten a lot of media exposure. This was a political decision! There is no science supporting this warning label and the FDA came to the same conclusion back in 2008 after careful review of the Southampton studies and holding an advisory committee hearing on the subject.

We need to get these facts out into the public and legislators' hands since they are currently being influenced by misinformation being promoted by RFK Jr., CSPI, EWG and other groups about the safety of these colors!