QandAs: Food

What is Red Dye #40?

Answer:
Red Dye #40 is often called a 'coal-tar-dye',

although very little petroleum traces exist in the highly refined (albeit petroleum based) substance. The chemical formula and technical name for red dye #40 is: 6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, and it is used in many products, including foods, to provide synthetic coloring.

Red dye #40 falls into a broader family of dyes known as 'azo' dyes; which relates to the unique molecular structure of the chemical coloring agents and the way some of the particular atoms bond with each other.

Food colorings are used primarily to trick the mind. Many processed foods made with a variety of chemical and traditional ingredients might not naturally come out to a color we would generally associate with a particular food type or food flavor. Thus, food manufacturers attempt to make the food more 'naturally appealing', so consumers will more readily accept it.

For example, it is possible to create totally clear, artificially flavored liquid drinks in a variety of 'naturally occurring' flavors; such as grape, blueberry, strawberry, and many others. Since clear liquids would likely make us think of tasteless water, coloring these drinks makes them more believable.

Adding the appropriate coloring (grape=purple; blueberry=blue; strawberry=red, etc.) immediately allows our brains to feel a more comfortable association with the drink. Somehow, grape tastes better if it's purple, and blueberry tastes better if it's blue, and strawberry tastes better if it's red.

Red dye #40 has come under scrutiny with regard to its safety in the food and other consumer goods arena. Some reports tell of quite severe sensitivities, discovered only after exhaustive testing and trial and error, process of elimination dietary management techniques.

Most people apparently assimilate red dye #40 with little or no known issues, though it appears the jury is still out, especially regarding long term consumption and the overall 'body-burden' philosophy.

The United Stated Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) regards red dye #40 as safe for use in foods, drinks, cosmetics, personal hygiene and other products.