How unhealthy is food coloring?

Sure, artificial food coloring makes food look more appealing, but they also contain plenty of chemicals. Are they safe? Learn more about what these food additives are made of and where to find (and avoid) them. read more

Artificial dyes are found in thousands of foods — Fruity Pebbles, gummy bears, soda, vitamins, you name it — and some sources estimate their consumption has increased 500 percent in the past 50 years. read more

All of those brightly colored cereals, candies, and drinks that are marketed to children are hurting them, and this is widely recognized as true. But food companies continue to pump the petroleum-derived artificial colors into foods and no one has done anything about it. read more

Although natural food coloring is made from things like beet juice, beta carotene, paprika and carmine, this type of dye is not always as safe as it sounds. Cochineal extract, or carmine dye, a red colorant frequently used in food, drinks and cosmetics, is made of the crushed bodies of Central and South America's cochineal bugs, according to University of Michigan allergist Dr. James L. Baldwin. read more