Parents are weeding out the artificial food dyes this year more than ever before. Concerns include overall toxicity issues, but also their suspected link to behavioral problems.
In my family, we don’t allow artificial food dyes into our house. We have good reason though. One of our son’s has such a reaction to them that within an hour of ingesting artificial food coloring, we have a child that rivals The Hulk. He is so sensitive to artificial food coloring that we even have a doctor’s note prescribing no artificial food dyes. With my other children though, the effect is noticeable as well. My oldest child gets very emotional and bummed out. My youngest child turns into the Energizer Bunny. I have even noticed changes in my own mood and behavior when I ingest it.
In March of 2011, the FDA heard testimony that linked worsening behavior problems like hyperactivity after ingesting artificial coloring. In Europe it was labeled to explain this link, which ultimately ended up causing most manufacturers to just switch to natural colors. Ultimately, our FDA decided not to do much about this issue though. FDA spokes person Douglas Karas said, “We reviewed the studies and we don’t see a direct, strong link, although certain children with ADHD may have a sensitivity to some substances.”
While many parents are avoiding artificial colors in their daily lives, the holidays tend to be an exception. One woman asked me, “What’s an Easter egg without food dye?” Thankfully, you don’t have to go without food dyes all together. While there are many ways to decorate Easter eggs, the tradition of dunking eggs into colorful bowls of water and vinegar is still a popular favorite. Many of the moms in the Everything Birth community make their own, but I am not that skilled yet.
There is still time to purchase pre-made natural food dye from India Tree. They make a complete line of natural food dyes that work great! A direct link to these natural food dyes is also on our Amazon products index.
Now, does anyone have any recipes for homemade Peeps?