Once again, Europe is leading the way on yet another public health and safety initiative. Even though I personally have no use for foods which are "artificially colored", as long as we're still doing that and people are going to continue eating them (especially children), this seems much better than the currently widespread alternative -
The ancient purple carrot is returning to its roots, this time to dye processed foods rather than the robes of Afghan royals.
Researchers in California are preparing for increased demand for fruits and vegetables that pull double duty as dyes as the deadline approaches for when the European Union will require warning labels on foods synthetically colored.
"There's a mad dash in Europe to get synthetic dyes out and put natural ones in, and it's coming across the Atlantic," said Stephen Lauro, general manager in Anaheim of ColorMaker, which turns beets, berries, cabbages and carrots into dyes for products such as Gerber toddler foods and Tang breakfast drink.
Of course, this does make you wonder about the truth of Monsanto and the biotech supporters' claims that only they can "feed the world", when we're getting ready to ramp up a major effort to grow food simply to use for changing the color of other foods. Anyways...
Researchers in England have linked some synthetic food additives to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children (as has also been found many times before, most notably in Appleton, Wisconsin's Central Alternative High School lunch program), and the EU will require foods containing synthetic dyes to carry warning labels stating that link beginning January 1.
As nice as it is to know that legislators and regulators in Brussels are passing laws that ultimately benefit Americans as well; wouldn't it be great if our own "regulators" in DC primarily concerned themselves with public health and safety and science over short term corporate profits? |
