Red #40

Red #40

Red #40

What is it:

Red 40, also known as Allura Red AC, is a commonly used food dye that imparts a bright red color to various foods and beverages, such as soft drinks, candy, and baked goods. It is a synthetic color additive that is derived from petroleum, and it belongs to a class of dyes known as azo dyes. The production of Red 40 involves the reaction of a mixture of aromatic chemicals, such as benzene, with nitrous acid to form the azo compound, which is then purified and dried to form the final product.

Rating:

Red 40 is synthetically derived from petroleum, which is not fit for human consumption. While Red 40 is considered safe by regulatory agencies, some animal studies have suggested that it may have potential genotoxic effects on the brain and gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, artificial food dyes including red #40 may exasperate symptoms of hyperactivity in some children.

Resources:

  1. FDA Color Additives History (Red #40 derived from petroleum)
  2. General information on Red #40 and possible health effects
  3. Red #40 intake associated with physical and behavioral toxicity in developing rats at high doses (animal study)
  4. Red #40 could impair learning, memory, and prefrontal cortex structure in rats (animal study)
  5. Sensitivity of children to artificial food coloring and potential health effects (review)
  6. Red #40 induces DNA damage in gastrointestinal organs in rats at acceptable daily intake (animal study)
  7. Restricting food dyes in diet associated with a reduction in parent-reported ADHD symptoms for their children (meta-analysis)
  8. Artificial food coloring may have a negative effect on children’s hyperactivity (review)
  9. Restricting artificial food coloring may improve ADHD symptoms in children who are sensitive to it (systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials)

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

Advantame

Advantame is a non-nutritive, high-intensity artificial sweetener that is similar …
Read More

Recent Articles

Get the dirt on clean eating

Stay in the know with the latest ratings, articles, and our newsletter, The Dirt.