Does Artificial Food Coloring Contribute to ADHD in Children?

Does Artificial Food Coloring Contribute to ADHD in Children? Kraft Macaroni & Cheese—that favorite food of kids, packaged in the nostalgic blue box—will soon be free of yellow dye.

Kraft announced Monday that it will remove artificial food coloring, notably Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 dyes, from its iconic product by January 2016. Instead, the pasta will maintain its bright yellow color by using natural ingredients: paprika, turmeric and annatto (the latter of which is derived from achiote tree seeds). The company said it decided to pull the dyes in response to growing consumer pressure for more natural foods.

Food dyes have been controversial since the 1970s, when pediatrician Benjamin Feingold published a study that links food colors to hyperactive behavior in kids, but the US Food and Drug Administration says that the food dyes are safe. A 2007 study from UK showed that artificial food colors and/or preservative sodium benzoate, can increase hyperactivity in children, after which the European Union started requiring food companies to clearly indicate if a product contains artificial food dyes, and that it could cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.

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