When was the last time you consumed gasoline? It might be more recent than you thought.
After years of humans devouring the deadly substance, Red Dye 3 was finally banned on January 15. It took nearly a century for researchers to look into the production of the dye, but once they did, they quickly found that it should in no way be consumed.
Red Dye 3 is made from petroleum which is the substance also used to make jet fuel and gasoline – both are substances extremely harmful to the human body if ever consumed.
According to Hartford Healthcare, “Research has shown Red Dye 3 can cause cancer, especially thyroid, along with behavioral health issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).”
Red Dye 3 was tested on rats in 2022, and as a reaction to high levels of the additive, the rats developed cancer. Though there is no evidence that the dye causes human cancer, it is still harmful enough to cause the disease in a living creature.
The dye is in a wide range of foods including candy, protein shakes, milk shakes, sausages, and certain vegetarian meats. In essence, most processed food that is red, orange, or pink colored will likely contain levels of Red Dye 3.
At Liberty, the Patriot Bistro, L’Cafe, and Patriot Pantry are not greatly affected by the banning; however, it may impact students individually based on personal food preferences.
Although it appears that without Red Dye 3 there will no longer be interesting and colorful options for one’s food. On the contrary, there are an abundance of healthy alternatives that still produce the vibrant red color people find so enticing.
Some healthy alternatives for Red Dye 3 are strawberries, cherries, blueberries and beet juice. Not only are these healthy for your body, they use few ingredients and are easy to get from local grocery stores. This makes the Red Dye substitutes very easy to homemake.
The banning for Red Dye 3 raises the question: are more dyes and processed foods bound to be banned?
It is very possible that processed food and dyes will continue to get banned. Chemically altered and created food is always a risk, as it is not natural.
Science continues to prove the importance of organic natural fruits and vegetables. If humans become too dependent on processed foods they will become malnourished and have a lack of the nutrients necessary for a healthy body.
