Dr. Ana-Maria Temple says American children consume about 200 mg of food dyes daily, but research shows 30 mg can trigger hyperactivity and impulsivity. The FDA's safe limit is 68 mg, yet children metabolize dyes differently than adults, making current regulations dangerously inadequate.
The average American child eats 200 milligrams of artificial food dyes per day, and studies show just 30 milligrams of artificial food dyes per day can lead to neurobehavioral issues such as impulsivity and hyperactivity. In the 1950s, the FDA deemed 12 milligrams of artificial food dye to be safe for human consumption. By 2015, it increased it to 68 milligrams of artificial food dye per day as safe for human consumption. 68 milligrams of artificial food dye for human consumption takes into account adult and children, but we know that children are not small adults. We would never give our adult dose of Tylenol to a 4-year-old child or our adult dose of ibuprofen to a 4-year-old child because we would shut down their kidneys or their liver. But when it comes to artificial food dyes, we somehow think that the rules are different.
