The Plan to Ban: The Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China Plans to Ban the Use of 17 Artificial Food Dyes
According to the April 9th, 2012 Shanghai Daily article, Ministry Bid to Take the Color Out of Sweet Treats, the Ministy of Health of the People’s Repbulic of China proposes banning 17 artificial food dyes based on recent expert examination.
In January of this year the Ministry sought expert opinions on the topic of the “safety and necessity” of various food additives. Based upon findings, the Ministry proposes that it will ban 17 artificial food dyes along with other additives following a public comment period which ends on April 20th.
One food safety expert, Mr. Wu Chuanye, from the Hunan Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that “Long-term consumption of such coloring could affect people’s health, especially that of children”.
The Vice Director of the Shangahi Food Safety Office, Mr. Gu Zhenhua, stated “If an additive was not necessary for a type of food, it should not be used”.
The seeking of expert opinion on the safety of artificial food dye is reminiscent of the 2 full days of the Food Advisory Panel of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public hearings held in the U.S. in March of 2011 (See manuscripts from March 30th and March 31st FDA hearings) . However the outcomes of the Ministry review of dyes vs. that of the FDA are very different.
Whereas the examination by the Ministy of Health led to a resolve to ban 17 artificial dyes from food products, the U.S. FDA hearings were inconclusive. According to the Washington Post (clickhere for story), the Food Advisory Panel of the FDA rejected even a suggested call for warning labels on foods containing dye and suggested that more study be undertaken before concluding that dyes cause any health issues in children.
China is not the first country to suggest manufactuers remove artificial dyes from food. According to the BBC news, a study in 2007 linked hyperactivity in children to artificial food colors and U.K. consumer response led to the Foods Standard Agency (FSA) to recommend a voluntary ban on use of artificial coloring in foods.
Based on the FSA recommendations and on the consumer demands, manufacturers have produced various foods using only natural colorings for the U.K market. These exact same manufactuers produce the same foods for the U.S. market with the difference being that the U.S. foods contain artificial dyes. The Center for Science in The Public Interest makes interesting comparisons of ingredients of well known products sold in the United Kingdom vs. those sold in the United States in the article CSPI Urges FDA to Ban Artificial Food Dyes Linked to Behavior Problems.
For the well-being of their children, both China and U.K. regulators have taken notice and have taken action to remove artificial dyes from foods. The U.S. can’t be far behind………..can it?
