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Citrus red #2
Citrus red #2
Citrus red #2
What is it:
Citrus Red #2 (CR2) is a synthetic dye that gives orange skin a brighter color. It is produced in a chemical reaction where carotenoid pigments found in citrus fruits are reacted with an acid which produces a red-orange color dye. It is only allowed to be sprayed on the peel, and not for other uses such as orange juice.
Rating:
Citrus Red #2 has been linked to increased mortality, liver damage, and cancer in mice. However, a human would have to eat an extreme amount of orange peels to match what those mice were fed. CR2 does not seem to penetrate the peel and enter the edible part of the orange. Oranges with CR2 can be avoided by either buying organic oranges or buying oranges from California/Arizona, as CR2 is illegal in those two states.
Resources:
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)
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