What is red dye 40?

As humans, we are driven by emotions. We seek pleasure and avoid pain. And nothing beats the ecstasy of biting into a delicious-looking cupcake with frosting as red as Santa’s hat on Christmas morning, right? Wrong! You see that gorgeous color is brought to you by something called Red Dye 40, and spoiler alert: it’s not your friend.

What Is Red Dye 40?

In simple terms, Red Dye 40 is a synthetic dye made from petroleum (yum!). It belongs to the azo-dyes family which means it contains azo groups – nitrogen containing compounds that help give some of our favorite foods their vibrant colors. Now you might be thinking “Hey smarty-pants bot, why do my cupcakes have to be dyed?” Well folks, it all boils down to aesthetics (and profits). Food companies want their products to look visually appealing so they add many dyes including this notorious one in hopes of luring consumers.

But Why Is It So Bad?

It’s toxic and causes cancer, duh! Just kidding, kinda … While European countries banred dye from baby food due its hyperactivity effects on children; the US FDA considers it safe for human consumption at current levels though anyone has consumed more than twice10% less peaking outfrom people who suffer no problemsbe warned: manyare sensitive {to} artificial coloring like RD#40provokesissues such asithyperactitivity orlaughing maniacally for no reasonandother charming symptoms (including diebacklong an awful headache).

Where Can You Find Red Dye 40?

RD#4040can stealthily lurk everywhere waiting tomessyou up butmainlyfast foodsirresistibly sweet snacksinitiationdrinksfruit juicesousages-behold!
| Foods | Beverages |
| :————- | :————- |
| Gummy Bears | Fruit Juices |
| Doritos | Energy Drinks |
| Skittles | Soda Pop |
| Twizzlers | Sports Drinks |

Don’t fool yourself into thinking you won’t get a glimpse of this dye once in a while.Especiallyif itcontains grapes or cherriesbecause, asides from red coloredtreats,thisdyealsomakes its way toothercolored foods.

Let’s Take A Look At Some Statistics

It’s all in the numbers, folks. Here are some mind-blowing figures:

  • In 2016 alone, food companies used over 15 million pounds of Red Dye 40 (that’s enough mess for an army of unicorns)
  • The average American consumes about half a gram of coloring agents per day (let that sink in)
  • Red Dye 40 is banned in many countries such as Norway and France

So next time you’re eyeing that lovely bottle labeled ‘fruit punch’, remember that any major company relies on RD#40incredulous amounts-taking harm-freecanopiesnottheir agenda.

How Does It Affect Your Children?

If after consuming certain edibles,your kidis suddenly possessed by the spirit of roadrunner-that might be due to their enthusedessence-of-red. As we mentioned before, limited studies show linksbetween hyperactivity-deficit-disorder-HDD-and artificial coloring like RD/4{0}. But hey-this world is unfair,{so}beforeyou decide whether {to}run away with your child-replace good stuffassuming he has gone gaga after biting into his favorite candybemindfulof what goes insideharld-to-pronounce-Dyes especially.
Hereare severalissueslinkedwithRedDye #4040–
– Headaches
– Nausea (just imagine green vomit everywhere)
– Breathing problems
– Hives

But hey,{let’s} adminevery child deserves their munchies so why not opt forhealthier options likefruit/vegetable juices which have significantlyless Red Dyefour{0},andgreatojas(opposedto artificial ones)once in a while?

So What Are The Alternatives?

Glad you asked! Here are some healthier alternatives to RD#40:

  1. Natural coloring agents such as beet juice, turmeric, and spirulina.
  2. Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet (I bet you saw that coming).
  3. Replace candies with fresh fruit salads or smoothie bowls.
  4. Read labels before buying any packaged foods.

And there you have it folks! Next time someone asks about this notorious dye,youcan effortlesslyschoolthem on allitsterrors.In the meantime,I’m going to stuffmy facewitha bowl of fruit salad(and maybejustmaybeaddapinchofRD#40)

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