Caring Causes: Kellogg's and Artificial Food Dyes

Non-profit Healthy Child Healthy World joins parenting and lifestyle experts Erica Reid and Latham Thomas in a petition targeting the Kellogg Company and asking John A. Bryant, President & CEO of Kellogg’s to take the first step in removing artificial food dyes from Kellogg’s children’s fruit snacks. Artificial food dyes have been linked to cancer, hyperactivity and allergies and does not belong in children’s fruit snacks.  Many parents are unaware of the risks associated with food dyes and mistakenly assume “fruit snacks” are a healthier snack alternative for their children.

Erica Reid and Latham Thomas are on a mission to educate parents about the risks of these snacks and implore parents to join them in their crusade to remove these harmful dyes from their children’s everyday snack foods.

“When Erica, Latham and I sat down to talk about this issue, we just knew we had to come together and take action.  As mothers, we are concerned and worried about sugar but often don’t realize that it’s not just the sugar in these products that are affecting our children’s health. It’s the artificial food dyes too,” said Gigi Lee Chang, CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World.

Since 1955, there has been a five-fold increase in food dye consumption, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In Britain, a warning label is required on all foods containing artificial food dyes. Kellogg’s Fruit Winders Snacks sold in Britain are made without food dyes, yet the United States’ equivalent still contains artificial colors. Several of the dyes used in the Kellogg Company’s fruit snacks, such as Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1 are known to cause allergy-like effects. Another dye, Red 3, is a known carcinogen and has been linked to cancer.

Latham Thomas, a holistic lifestyle expert and Founder of MamaGlow.com says, “our children are consuming packaged foods and even with proper guidance it's hard for them to avoid the synthetic dyes, specifically in foods marketed to them.  We are asking Kellogg to remove artificial food dyes from their fruit flavored snacks because not only do these products contain food dyes, but all the kids’ favorite cartoon characters and super heroes are on the box, making it that much harder to say no.”

"Artificial food dyes have been linked to hyperactivity, allergies and cancer, yet they are found everywhere from beverages to snack foods. For optimal health, parents would be well-advised to limit the amount of food dyes their children consume," said Alan Greene, MD, a leading pediatrician and author of RaisingBaby Green.

For more information or to sign Erica Reid and Latham Thomas’ petition to John A. Bryant, President & CEO Kellogg Company, please visit healthychild.org/kelloggs.

ABOUT ERICA REID
A former schoolteacher, Erica Reid is the author of The Thriving Child, a parenting book with helpful tips and insights on nurturing children both emotionally and physically. Erica is a devoted mother of two and as a result of a health scare with her young son, was jolted into action. Out of necessity, Erica went on a journey to educate herself about healthy and non-toxic choices for the well-being of both her children. Today, Erica is an advocate for bringing awareness about food allergies and helping parents to make better choices so all children can thrive. Erica is the wife of Antonio "LA" Reid and mother to Arianna and Addison, both of whom have ongoing food and environmental sensitivities.

ABOUT LATHAM THOMAS

Maternity lifestyle maven, wellness/birth coach, and yoga teacher Latham Thomas is working on transforming the maternal and women's wellness movement. A graduate of Columbia University and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Latham is the founder of MamaGlow.com, a holistic lifestyle website for women to explore their creative edge through wellbeing. Her practice provides support to pre/postnatal women along their journey to motherhood offering culinary and nutritional services, yoga, and birth coaching services. She lives in New York City with her son Fulano and their turtle Climby. Her first book, MamaGlow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy, is due out in November 2012.

ABOUT HEALTHY CHILD HEALTHY WORLD

Healthy Child Healthy World is a California non-profit public benefit corporation with a mission to empower parents to take action and protect their children from harmful chemicals. By working with manufacturers and supporting policy initiatives, Healthy Child Healthy World has transformed the marketplace into a safer environment for children. By providing access to critical information that encourages smarter lifestyle choices that reduce toxic chemical exposure in homes and communities, Healthy Child Healthy World has solidified itself as a trusted resource for parents for over 20 years. Healthy Child Healthy World's vision is a world where every child has the opportunity to grow-up in a healthy and safe environment.