LETTER: Newsom behind the times on food dyes
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is behind the times when it comes to food additives (Saturday Review-Journal). Concerns about the health risks of food dyes have been around since I had a child in the 1970s.
Dr. Ben E. Feingold wrote “The Feingold Cookbook for Hyperactive Children” in 1974 informing parents how to curb hyperactivity. I got my child off Ritalin and controlled her behavior with diets free of food coloring, nitrates and nitrites. In the 1970s, there was very little that did not have additives, so it was a very difficult task.
The U.S. government should have been on top of this problem 50 years ago. Schools should have been aware back then of the danger of artificial coloring and additives. We need to stop selling artificially colored and flavored foods such as cereals and snacks, and we will see a huge difference in the behavior of our children. Just listing the ingredients on labels is not enough. We need to stop the manufacturing of dangerous additives and make wholesome foods more available and priced right so all can have access.
