Acesulfame potassium is a zero-calorie sweetener that is added to many sugar-free…
Menu
Blue #2
Blue #2
Blue #2
What is it:
Blue #2, also known as Indigo Carmine, is a synthetic dye made via chemical synthesis that gives products a royal blue color. Blue #2 dye is found in many products including ice cream, shaving gel, and makeup.
Rating:
While Blue #2 does not have evidence showing it to be toxic for humans as many other artificial food dyes do, it is still a synthetic food dye that serves no health purpose. Blue #2 in one animal study caused more tumors compared to the control group, although the researchers could not conclude that blue #2 was the cause. Blue #2 can also inhibit mitochondrial function in rats and may cause anemia in pigs and mice.
Resources:
- Carcinogenicity of Blue #2 in rats (animal study)
- Effects of food colors on mitochondria (animal study)
- Short-term toxicity of Blue #2 in pigs (animal study)
- Long-term toxicity of Blue #2 in mice (animal study)
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
Top Ingredients To Avoid
Almond extract is a concentrated liquid flavoring derived from almonds, commonly used…
Recent Articles
Not all flavors, or oils are created equal!
The Food Showdown: Popcorners flavors
Ingredient Rating: Canola oil – is it bad for you?
Clean Consuming: Nourishment for your
Is It Clean 2023 Recap + Our top 3 Tips for a Healthier 2024
We have accomplished so much in just 1 year since our launch in March of 2023! We now have 10,000
Food Showdown: Nacho Chips
The Nacho Chip Food Showdown, is Tapioca Starch safe in food? and a must-see documentary on America’s food system.