What foods would disappear if Mexico banned synthetic food dyes?

Food argumentation successful the U.S. is astir to get a colorful shakeup. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the existent Secretary of Health and Human Services, has announced a program to destruct 8 synthetic, petroleum-based nutrient dyes from the U.S. nutrient proviso by the extremity of 2026. This follows the FDA’s caller prohibition connected FD&C Red No. 3, which took effect connected January 15. 

While these changes are happening northbound of the border, it got maine thinking: If Mexico were to travel suit, however would specified a prohibition impact the rainbow of snacks successful stores and markets, and the elaborate piñatas that instrumentality halfway signifier astatine children’s day parties?

Synthetic nutrient dyes are contiguous successful galore accepted Mexican sweets, specified arsenic obleas.

The colorful culprits

Throughout overmuch of the world, nutrient has go arsenic overmuch astir ocular pleasance arsenic taste. Color is an casual mode to captivate a bare patron’s attention, which is wherefore synthetic nutrient dyes person played specified a large relation successful the nutrient industry. 

The archetypal synthetic nutrient dye dates backmost to the 1850s with English chemist William Henry Perkin’s find of mauveine. While it revolutionized the manner industry, this purple hue besides snuck itself into sweets nether the names of violet paste, chrome violet and Perkin’s violet. Although mauveine yet disappeared from our plates, the usage of synthetic colorings successful nutrient became widespread.

Today, these 9 synthetic nutrient dyes are linked by immoderate researchers to a assortment of superior wellness issues, from puerility hyperactivity and behavioral problems to thyroid disruption and crab risks.

• FD&C Red No. 40
• FD&C Yellow No. 5
• FD&C Yellow No. 6
• FD&C Blue No. 1
• FD&C Blue No. 2
• FD&C Green No. 3
• Orange B
• Citrus Red No. 2
• FD&C Red No. 3 (already banned successful the U.S.)

Synthetic nutrient colorings are often utilized successful at-home Mexican baking. (Larry Jacobsen / CC BY 2.0)

While the U.S. is conscionable present moving to restrict synthetic nutrient dyes, respective countries person been up of the curve for years. Norway and Iceland banned Red No. 40 (Allura Red) successful nutrient products agelong ago. Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Austria person besides banned oregon heavy restricted definite synthetic nutrient colorings, specified arsenic Yellow No. 5 and Red No. 40. Since 2010, the European Union has required foods containing definite synthetic dyes to transportation a informing statement stating they “may person an adverse effect connected enactment and attraction successful children.”

Mexico, meanwhile, operates successful a colorful mediate ground. Most synthetic nutrient dyes are inactive permitted here, though with varying labeling requirements. Some large players similar Mondelēz person already dropped Red No. 3 from their Mexican lineup, but we haven’t seen a broad prohibition materialize… yet.

A technicolor circuit of Mexican treats

Imagine Mexico without its technicolor treats. What would botana carts look like? Picnics successful the park? Grocery store checkout lines? Disorienting, to accidental the least.

Say goodbye to those radioactive-looking gomitas that stain your lips for hours. Gone would beryllium the accidental to suck connected a mouth-puckering Pulparindo oregon Lucas candy. Even the rainbow-hued paletas that marque for cleanable Instagram shots couldn’t flight extinction. All would request superior makeovers without Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5.

Salty snacks wouldn’t get disconnected easily, either. That suspicious orangish particulate coating your fingers aft a container of food puffs? Yellow No. 6. The blazing reddish pulverization that makes Takis truthful attractive? Red No. 40. Even Sabritas and Barcel products would request to find caller ways to enactment connected shelves.

In short, the pursuing bites would beryllium successful superior information of disappearance: 

Candies: Pulparindots, Lucas, Rockaleta, Vero

Snacks: Flavored Sabritas chips, Takis, Cheetos, respective brands of cacahuates japoneses

Beverages:  Sodas similar Jarritos, powdered portion mixes, including Tang

Baked Goods: Panes dulces similar pink-and-yellow conchas, polvorones de colores, merengues

A much earthy future?

If Mexico were to travel the United States’ lead, it would beryllium joining a increasing nine of countries that person already taken enactment against synthetic nutrient colorings. The translation wouldn’t conscionable beryllium technical: it would promote a afloat selling overhaul, uncovering caller ways to conscionable user expectations and reinvent however accepted treats should look successful a new, dye-free era.

The bully news? There are earthy alternatives waiting successful the wings. Carotenoids from carrots and marigolds tin supply yellows, oranges and reds. Anthocyanins from berries connection reds, purples and blues. There’s chlorophyll from plants for greens, turmeric for yellows and betalains from beets for a perfectly pinkish icing connected your concha. Companies similar Nestlé person already started utilizing spirulina and beetroot extract successful different markets, proving that quality tin beryllium conscionable arsenic colorful arsenic a chemistry lab.

Perhaps the accommodation play would beryllium challenging astatine first. Imagine kids’ faces erstwhile they wound into their favourite snack lone to find it’s a somewhat antithetic shadiness of atomic red. But successful the agelong run, a Mexico with much people colored foods mightiness beryllium a brighter spot so — adjacent if the colors themselves are somewhat muted.