Food Coloring | The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
2 am and you’re dealing with yet another night terror. You thought by now these would be over. You’ve explained many times to your toddler, that the boogie man isn’t real, there are no monsters in the closet, and no one can get them… but what you might not realize, mama, is that the rainbow cupcake she had at Bobby’s birthday party, made ALL the bump in the night creatures VERY real.
Two words. FOOD. COLORING.
Many countries have banned the usage of food coloring in consumable products because of the affect they have on children. These colors have been cooked up in a lab, and are the culprits for things like hyperactivity, cancer, allergies, and one common thread more parents are realizing, night terrors! Food coloring is made from petroleum and has been found in thousands of our food products today within the US, most notably in children’s snacks and breakfast foods.
So what exactly should we be looking for in the ingredient lists? The biggest and most notable one to watch out for is Red Food Dye #40. This particular coloring was banned in Britain after studies showed hyperactivity and behavioral issues among children who consumed products with Red dye #40. Some other colors to look out for are:
- FD & C Blue No. 1 & 2
- FD & C Red No. 40,
- FD & C Yellow No. 5 & 6
Mamas of little ones who may be having frequent episodes of waking up in sheer panic, may want to look into what is going into their bodies. In our home, when we have harder days or freak outs at night, I can usually trace it back to a sweet treat I gave my kiddo, or what they may have had over at a friends house. With Halloween right around the corner and the Holidays soon to follow, be on the lookout for these sneaky colors…they are everywhere!
Now I know, no one wants to be the kill joy mom around the holidays. The fall is the time to embrace all the warm fuzzy feels, and colorful treats and sweets just come with the territory. So if your little one does eat something with artificial food coloring, be patient, be kind, be understanding, and cuddle those babies a bit harder when they wake you up at 2 in the morning. Their feelings of unrest are validated and once the junk has pushed completely out of their system, everyone will rest a bit easier!
