The Grocery Store Chain That's Committed To Avoiding Artificial Coloring In Its Food
Food colorings are what make candy colorful, give cheddar cheese its glowy orange color, and make a perfect red velvet cake a vibrant red. If you go shopping at one particular grocer, you might notice that it doesn't stock some of the most processed and colorful cereals, nor the typical rainbow of sodas and sports drinks. The natural and organic food-focused supermarket chain, Whole Foods, has been free of artificial colorings since the 1980s.
Whole Foods is very strict with artificial additives, having banned them from its food aisles entirely (one of the many things about Whole Foods you'll wish you knew sooner). In addition to artificial colorings, the chain does not allow products with artificial preservatives and sweeteners, nor hydrogenated fats. To be clear, Whole Foods does sell products with food coloring, such as candy, cereals, snacks, and baked goods and cakes in its bakery section. However, the supermarket only allows for naturally derived food colorings — there's a big difference between these and artificial food coloring. Natural colorings can be made from plants, minerals, animals, or insects. On the other hand, artificial food colorings are made from chemicals derived from petroleum.
These requirements are applicable for Whole Foods' own affordable 365 label and all other products it stocks — so you can shop with peace of mind, without having to intensely scour ingredients labels. For an example of natural colorings that are allowed in the store, take the 365 brand food coloring product (for dyeing icing and baked goods); the main ingredients include red radish concentrate, turmeric, and spirulina extract.
Common food colorings and health issues
A petroleum-based product certainly doesn't sound like something that should be consumed — and it isn't. There are many health risks associated with artificial food dyes, even when consumed in small quantities. Studies have found that artificial colorings that are approved by the FDA to be added to food in the United States are likely carcinogens. Children are particularly affected by artificial coloring, with negative side effects including behavioral problems and hyperactivity.
Artificial food colorings commonly found in processed foods include Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, and Yellow Dye No. 6. The most notorious, Red 40, is also the most used in the United States: It is estimated that 36,000 food products contain this dye. Red 40 contains benzene, which is a known carcinogen; what is not known at this time is what level of Red 40 consumption leads to the development of cancerous tumors, as most studies have been conducted on mice.
Products with artificial food coloring sometimes have a label listed on the front of the packaging — other times it is up to the consumer to search through the ingredient list. Countries outside of the U.S. are stricter when it comes to artificial colorings, as Whole Foods is. In the European Union, several artificial dyes approved in the U.S, are banned, while products that contain others must include a warning label.