Yesterday, in the face of a just-released report by the National Cancer Institute that showed a 9.4% increase in childhood cancer between 1992 and 2007, the FDA let moms and dads all across America down. Instead of making the long overdue move to do something serious about getting rid of toxic food dyes so ubiquitous in our food supply, they instead fell back on those two simple words so often used to stall, delay and deny: "more research."
In kitchens across this country, eight dyes, currently being used by manufacturers, can be found in everything from packaged macaroni and cheese to breakfast cereal to practically every piece of candy your child has ever put in his or her mouth. Links are being found to hyperactivity in kids (ADHD), cancer and serious food allergies.
But here is the truly crazy thing. Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-Mart have already removed these artificial food colors and dyes from the same products that they distribute in other countries. They did it in response to consumer demand and an extraordinary study called the Southampton Study.
The Southampton Study was unusual in that it tested children on a combination of two ingredients: tartrazine (yellow #5) and sodium benzoate. The study's designers knew that a child very rarely has occasion to ingest just a synthetic color or just a preservative; rather, a child who is gobbling up multicolored candies is probably taking in several colors and at least one preservative.
What's amazing is that in the U.K., the federal food safety agency actually funded the Southampton Study that led to even U.S. corporations eliminating synthetic colors and sodium benzoate from their U.K. products.
And in response, a whole host of companies, including the U.K. branches of Wal-Mart, Kraft, Coca Cola and the Mars candy company (who make M&Ms), have voluntarily removed artificial colors, the preservative sodium benzoate, and even aspartame from their products. Particularly those marketed to kids. Take a close look at the ingredient list for the product below.
Our American companies had removed these harmful ingredients from their products overseas -- but not here!
Kraft, Coca Cola and Wal-Mart are living proof that it is possible for giant corporations to make and sell kid-friendly, family-friendly, and healthy processed food without necessarily exposing them to a chemical cocktail that might also give them allergic reactions, brain tumors, or leukemia, or the symptoms of ADHD, as the Center for Science in the Public Interest recently highlighted in their report Rainbow of Risks.
No need to go through all the numbers for increased health problems here. You've heard them all and it isn't pretty. For goodness sake, no more research necessary. Lets stop poisoning our own kids. Lets start assuming chemicals are dangerous until proven safe, not the other way around.
Is it too much to ask the FDA and the processed food companies for the same value to be placed on the lives of the American kids in their cost-benefit analyses that has been placed on the lives of kids in the UK?
Moms, we can create that same change here. And with 51 million moms waking up to the dangers that toxins present to the health of our kids, our numbers are equivalent to the entire population of Spain. Time to get down to business, level the playing field for our kids, and send a message to these companies. Vote with your pocketbook today, this weekend, next month as you grocery shop for your family. Because while the American children only represent 30% of our population, they are 100% of our future. So while the FDA may not value their lives accordingly, we can.
Laurie David is an environmentalist, producer and the author of The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. Robyn O'Brien is the founder of AllergyKidsFoundation.org and the author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick - And What We Can Do About It.
Follow Laurie David on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Laurie_David
And the International Food Information Council, which is supported primarily by broad-based food, beverage and agricultural industries, says the science isn’t there.
quote: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/31/more-research-needed-on-food-dyes-fda-panel-says/
“Without sufficient scientific evidence that a causal link truly exists between food colors and hyperactivity in children, communications that suggest a link could have unintended consequences, including unnecessarily frightening consumers about safe ingredients that are consumed every day,” said David Schmidt, president and CEO of IFIC.
wtf??? it's not even proven that this is a cause... i mean really, what the hell do people think is in ice cream, cakes, icing on those friggin cupcakes, doritos, and del monte fruit preservitaves?!?! lmao
i mean like i said before, unless we can all have a half acre and self sustain, then there would be nothing to worry about except mad cow disease in the meat and pesticides...
i swear i wish i could get a yurt http://www.spiritmountainyurts.com/fortress.htm or
a zen 400 sq ft bamboo http://www.bambooliving.com/prefab-green-homes-collection.html
Just recently, Taco Bell introduced shrimp tacos. I would love to know WHERE they acquired the shrimp.
Mark my words; this soon will be revealed, and I for one will not be surprised.
Although I try not to buy these types of foods with additives, (for the reasons of it being filled with artificial ingredients) it is still important to be educated consumers and parents.
Mary Brighton
www.brightonyourhealth.com
Anyway, do your own research I am not here to do it for you. It is commonly known that many if not all, FDA executives are former employees of big business corporations like Monsanto, Con Agra, Nestle, Kraft, it goes on and on, For god sake Obama appointed a former Monsanto executive to be out Agricultural secretary...wake up!
We see the same sad examples with FDA and the cosmetics industry, such as the recent scandal with Brazilian Blowout, the expensive hair straightening product advertised as "formaldehyde-free" that was found to contain high levels of formaldehyde. Despite bans in several countries, warnings from state governments, and even the cosmetics industry itself calling on FDA to intervene, FDA is dragging it's feet, "studying the matter." It took less than two weeks for Health Canada to conduct its own study and pull Brazilian Blowout from the shelves, and that was more than six months ago.
http://notjustaprettyface.org/
Once upon a time, FDA was the world's gold standard agency for protecting the public from dangerous products. These days the agency acts more like an apologist working to protect corporations from their own dumb decisions. Nobody wins in this equation. Thanks to Laurie David and Robyn O'Brien for exposing this double standard that we don't have to stand for. Just say no to buying food from these irresponsible companies.
Stacy Malkan
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Author of "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry"
... and that's BEFORE the Republicans get their cleavers our and defund it 40%.
Now, this will actually cause more expense -- due to liability lawsuits, but if they can couple this with Torte reform, lopping an arm off at the chicken processing plant shouldn't cost a company any more than the $250 fine for a mining operation NOT to have an air mask available.
Led testing kits will rise to $200 a pop.
For everyone to be self-sufficient and not have "big gummit" involved, I think we all need bulldozers, enough tar for 3 miles of road, chicken wire, chickens, goats, nuclear generator (aren't they cheap and efficient -- without dang Greenpeace in the way -- safer and more powerful now), home schooling, home doctor kit (don't just PLAY Doctor -- become a pro) with 5 hamsters to practice your skill, home Tsunami warning, air raid siren, green house, distillation pond (for that safe water), air sealed dome (to keep your air fresh and not piggy-back on the clean air needed for industry), wood mill, computer training lab, smelter, iron-works shop, ... and I'm sure I'm leaving so many things out, because I've become a dependent worm who fell in love with Big Gummint'.
/sarcasm
>> The only thing we DON'T need is our own military force. Obviously, Big Gummit is NOT the military.