Are food dyes actually dangerous?

Here's what the science (not TikTok) says.

Hello friends!

If you spend any time on social media (or in the parenting trenches), you've probably seen the uproar over food dyes. Red 40 is the current villanous food dye we can’t stop talking about, with families across the country vowing to banish artificial coloring from their homes.

Wellness influencers are sounding the alarm, Facebook groups are swapping dye-free snack lists, and if you’re a millennial, it might be triggering flashbacks to the blue raspberry ICEE and neon orange mac and cheese of your youth. Oh, and don’t forget about Fruity Pebbles (my favorite).

So, what’s the deal? Are food dyes actually dangerous? And how worried should we actually be about the short and longterm harm they can cause?

Why are we all talking about food dye right now, anyway?

Food dye skepticism isn’t new, but interest has spiked in recent years fueled by pandemic-era wellness movements, growing distrust of “Big Food,” and the rise of the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) crowd.

The concern hit mainstream when California passed legislation banning public schools from serving products with synthetic dyes starting in 2028. Around the same time, a case report published in 2023 highlighted allergic reactions to synthetic red dyes, and California’s own 2021 state report linked food dyes to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral effects in children. Meanwhile, Facebook groups with names like “Dye-Free Families” have exploded, offering swap guides and support.

This issue is also an interesting intersection of wellness culture and regulatory policy, which is stirring up a lot of attention.

The actual, known impact of food dyes on our health