My son is highly allergic to red dye #40. It took a great deal of trial and error to narrow the culprit down, and some doctors still don’t believe anyone could be that allergic to food dye approved by the FDA.
Red dye #40 has been banned for use in children’s products in some countries, yet it has been allowed as “safe” for use here in America. If something is artificially colored red, pink, purple, or orange, chances are it contains Red Dye #40. They use it to make chocolate look “richer” and baked goods look more “golden”.
It can be found in almost everything – white and yellow store bought cake mixes, chocolate pudding mix, refrigerated crescent rolls, Kool-Aid, candy, cereals, Pop Tarts, cough syrup, Benadryl (how ironic!), cold medicine, and scores of other products. We’ve taught our son to READ ALL LABELS to be sure he doesn’t ingest it.
The problem for us started when he was a toddler. He had recurrent ear infections and a lot of allergy problems in general. Our family doctor put him on D’Allergy syrup (which coincidentally also contains Red Dye #40). For many months, he had no outward appearance of having an allergic reaction to the allergy medication. During one of his ear infections, he had a severe allergic reaction where he broke out in hives from head to toe and started swelling. The doctor decided he was allergic to the antibiotic and switched him to something else. Over the following months, he broke out in hives repeatedly, with no rhyme or reason as to what caused the outbreak. We tried eliminating various foods from his diet and using different laundry detergents, etc. Nothing seemed to be the trigger.
It was only after a family friend told us she removed all red dye #40 from her kids diet that we had an “a ha!” moment. We took him off of D’Allergy and carefully watched everything he ate to be sure there was no artificial red dye in it. The hives stopped immediately, and when red dye was re-introduced to his diet, the hives started back up. I cannot tell you the relief it was to finally know what the problem was, and also how frustrating because the very thing that was supposed to be helping him was making him worse!
Red dye can also cause hyperactivity in children among many other problems. The symptoms we deal with are severe hives from head to toe, swelling, and nose pouring. Prescription Atarax usually stops it in its tracks, but it has been bad enough in the past that we’ve had to use steroids also (and some brands of the steroids contain Red Dye #40 – we had that happen when we rushed him to the ER one evening after eating some Red Dye in a school lunch. The ER doctor informed me that she had never heard of anyone being allergic to Red Dye and acted like I was an imbecile. She put him on Benadryl (I chose the Dye Free kind) and a steroid that had Red Dye in it. He kept getting worse even on the meds, and I finally realized what the problem was and stopped the steroids immediately – he got better quickly after that. )
We have also used the herb Yellow Dock with good success when he has inadvertantly eaten something with Red Dye, which is rare nowdays. Another thing that relieves itching is to take an old sock, pour 1 cup of dry oatmeal into it, tie the top off, and throw it into a hot bath. Rub the sock all over the inflamed skin, and it helps tremendously.
For more information, visit the website http://red40.com/ . There are other dyes that can also cause serious problems, but from our experience, Red Dye #40 is the worst.
I can’t believe I just happened to read this. My son has reacted to red dye for the last 15 years. Many doctors have told me there is no such thing over and over again. My son actually bleeds internally when he eats any # of red dye.
Thanks for getting the word out!
We know of two other families locally who have the same Red Dye issues. It amazes me that the gov’t says it’s ok to put into our food! We avoid ALL of the red dyes just out of caution – I suspect none of them are good for a body.
There is a product called “Moducare” which is all natural and contains plant sterols. It has really helped to boost his immune system. It’s available on Ebay or Amazon.com.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
We have to watch the red dye consumption around here, too. It makes PDD-NOS actions more pronounced. Isaiah’s developmental doctor was amazed at his progress this past year.
That’s wonderful that you have discovered the cause of so many problems! Most people believe that the reaction to artificial food dyes is an “allergic” one, but it rarely is. In most cases it’s a sensitivity, not an allergy. It would be like saying you are “allergic” to polluted air; you’re not allergic — it’s just bad for you.
An allergy typically is an unusual reaction to an ordinary substance, that is well tolerated by most people…such as milk, or corn or certain trees. An allergic reaction is handled differently by the body than a “sensitivity” which is what most people experience when they have the symptoms you describe.
An eminent allergist who did much work in this area was the late Ben Feingold, who was Chief of Allergy at a Kaiser medical center in California.
So what’s going on with the reaction to the dye? These chemicals (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, etc) are not ordinary substances!! They are created from petroleum, just like gasoline, and most of the dye in food in the US starts out at petroleum refineries in China.
As if that were not bad enough, they are permitted to contain contaminants of lead, mercury and arsenic….they just aren’t supposed to have TOO MUCH of them.
It’s amazing that any doctor in 2008 would be unaware of the decades of medical literature that show the damage from these dyes. This information has appeared in medical journals since the late 1950s! You can find out all about the studies at http://www.diet-studies.com. In a nutshell, petroleum-based dyes have been shown to result in: hives, asthma, headaches, bedwetting, ear infections, hyperactivity, attention deficits, nerve damage, immune system damage, DNA damage, reproductive damage and cancer, among other things.
You might want to print out some of the research abstracts and give them to those doctors.
Our good old FDA is so busy catering to Big Pharma, they haven’t even kept up on the research, and still believe that there’s nothing wrong with little kids eating huge amounts of petrol! The amount being consumed has skyrocketed over the years. The FDA web site on dyes misquotes a report that is 26 years old, as their justification for not getting rid of these additives.
Our non-profit organization has helped many thousands of families to identify and remove the offending chemicals. We show how to find the foods you enjoy, but without the harmful chemical additives. We even identify candies that are delicious, but free of petroleum. This includes jelly beans, chocolates, gummy bears, lollipops, candy canes, marshmallows, etc. More information is available at http://www.ADHDdiet.org.
If you send information to your doctor, be sure to include the newest study, published last year in the leading British medical Journal “The Lancet.” It showed that a modest dose of food dye caused ADHD symptoms in all of the children who consumed them. This is what many parents will soon see when their children experience Halloween Hangover (from the dyes and other synthetic additives, not so much from the sugar).
I have just finished writing an article on allergy for another blog and would be glad to share it with you if you like.
Jane Hersey
National Director
Feingold Association of the US
Hey all,
My daughter was 2years old when she first started to break out. The rash always started on her elbows and backs of her thighs. It nevers seemed to get better it just progressively got worse. She eventually looked boiled. It covered her entire body — the flesh was open and seeping.
We had been every where. Every childrens hospital known to man. They were so pulled with a diagnosis because the rash center was concave. The diagnosed her with multiple diseases and viruses. No medication helped. Finally — they sent her to Kentucky to an allergist/dermatoligist. She was amazing. She immediately started testing her for allergies and told us to with hold all red dye #40 from her diet.
The test revealed she was allergic to beef. So we kept the beef out of her diet but the rash and seeping did not go away it tried to improve but would return just as severe. So when we finally removed all the dye from her diet along with the beef with in 2 week she was completely healed up — no scars no seeping. It was a miracle.
On our visit back to the Doctor she told us we had to give the red dye back to be sure that was what it was. Needless to say we were reluctant but gave it back. With in one day the rash had started. We stopped immediatly . She is 6 now and has been rash free for 3 years — as long as NO One gives her red dye #40 or beef.
This is very difficult with kindergarten. Foods, candy, drinks, and medication have red dye. People just don’t get it. I once had a pharmacy tech ask if she had any allergies and proceeded to tell her beef and red dye #40 and she said “really allergies to medications and stuff” I don’t think they consider it an allergy unless you can give them the specifics. The school nurse— sent home a not and ask that I give her a complete list of foods she can eat or can not , which is impossible because its in so many foods and drinks that you would not think. So we have a saying, If You Can’t Read it, She Can’t Eat it”.
Thanks for listening — These allergies at times feel life consuming. I have never read so many lables. Yet, shes so great I would read a million more to keep her safe.
I have a really dumb question because I have a terrible fear of another reaction to red dye because I’ve had a severe reaction in the past with swelling tongue, etc. Is there any chance that red color on dishes, etc., could be the same thing or is it different when it is paint and has a glaze over it? I just don’t want the same thing to happen to me again. When I see the color red, I get really antsy.
Jaime,
Our motto is if God made it red it is okay. If man made it red avoid it.
I paint pottery and know that in ceramics a clear glass glaze goes over the dish. You should not be effected. Also, you would not be ingesting the plate so you should be safe.
My Son only has problems if he consumes the dye or wears it.
Good Luck
That is our motto also! I’ve told our son repeatedly that if God made it, he can eat it.
Hi Jamie,
I think that is a very legitimate question actually. Theoretically, if the dish is glazed, it should not be a problem. However, if you had that severe a reaction to red dye, I would be extra careful. I’ve honestly wondered about this myself with our son, but he has never had a problem with red colored plastic or glazed dishes.
Thanks for the response, arksoaper. By the way, I’d love to hear the story behind that user name some time! LOL. And I’m a cat lover, too. Anyway, I think I’ll just be safe and not sorry with the red thing. My daughter had bought me a very nice coffee mug for Christmas, but the rim is red and I was like, “Whoa, do I take a sip of coffee from this thing or not?” Think I’ll just admire it from afar. Thanks again for the info!
I have been taking a mediacation called levothyroxine. The dosage is 112mcg but I previously took 125mcg for many years. I never had a problem with 125 but 112 is causing me to have 6-7 diarrhea bouts a day. I looked up the ingredients in 112 and there is D & C red dye #’s 27 & 30 -Aluminum Lake. Could these red dyes be the problem?
By the way, the levothyroxine is from the Mylan company. I wonder if they are starting to use , because of the money crunch right now, some less expensive ingredients. Just a thought.
Hi Judy,
I honestly have no idea – ask your pharmacist or doctor and see what they say. You could be allergic to the dye or another ingredient in the meds.
I read something a while back about a woman who thought she was allergic to a particular spice, and avoided it for years only to find out she was allergic to a PRESERVATIVE in the spice she purchased.
On a side note: I appreciate all of the comments everyone has left on this topic. Seems there are many of us who have had bad experiences with artificial dyes!
My daughter also has a reaction to red dye. She gets very hyper and aggressive. She has now started to break out and itich really bad. My question is how do you avoid this dye in their diet? It is in everything. I have cut a lot of it out of her diet but I know that she is still getting some by her actions. Is there a website/store that sells dye free foods?
Jennifer,
Unfortunately, I don’t know of any store or website that specifically sells dye free foods. My best advice is to either make things from scratch yourself so you know what you’re giving her, or diligently read all labels. Most candy, poptarts, cereal, etc. contain red dye. Sometimes it takes a while to weed out where it’s coming from. Our son had a reaction to lasagna served at school (which is weird – tomato sauce is already red – why add dye?!).
There is no easy fix – it takes a change in habits and extra care in reading labels.
My son has had severe outbreaks of hives caused by Red #40 since he was 9 years old. We try to avoid the dye, but occasionally something slips under the radar and he ends up with hives again. He also has a sensitivity to Yellow #6. I’ve recently met two adults who also have developed severe hives from Red #40. Like others of you, our doctor could not figure out what was causing the problem, but once we had narrowed it down ourselves, was very supportive. At that time, virtually all children’s antihistamines contained Red #40 and our doctor had to special order clear antihistamine liquid for us.
Thanks for the info. I was wondering if anyone has heard of a red dye allergy (or intolerance) causing stomach issues. I have been having bouts of being violently ill and no matter how much I have eaten, I only throw up pink stuff. At first I thought I was allergic to raspberries, but since cutting them out of my diet, I have still had this experience. I am wondering if I am having a reaction to red dye. Been doing internet research and haven’t found much mention of stomach symptoms associated with a red dye allergy.
wow, after reading this I feel much better as we had a very similar experience. Our son had had children’s tylenol with Red Lake #40 in it when he was an infant right up until we on our own did an elmination diet. When our son was about 15 months old he started developing hives from head to toe and for months, we visited the allergist, the pediatrician and to no avail. We were treated like hypochondriacs. Blood and when old enough skin Allergy tests were run, and they just told us to use Benadryl. Once we did the elimination diet and found out it was red dye I felt awful as our son had been getting that from infancy. We are not sure if it was damaging, but having severe allergies during a developmental period constantly still is highly concerning. I would like to know if anyone whose child is severly allergic to red dye has noticed developmental or any other concerns as parents? thanks!
Hi Jenny,
We have noticed no developmental issues with our son, and he also took products containing red dye during his early years. Physically and mentally, he is at the top of his class, so I don’t believe the red dye had any lasting effects (at least I hope and pray it didn’t!). He was also a preemie, if that makes any difference in comparison.
The last *major* outbreak for him, which landed us in the emergency room, was 3 years ago. We have been overtly cautious about everything he eats, but once in a great while, something will slip through. I bought a can of macaroni and cheese the other day (new product – thought it might be worthwhile for food storage) and it had red dye. Also, Cinnamon Life cereal has red dye, and also the Viggo Yellow Rice.
It’s a shame more doctors don’t take this seriously. We *must* be pro-active with our health and that of our children, even when the doctors don’t agree with us.
Thanks for posting!
Hi. Boy am I glad to find your post!
I have an 11 year old boy with a red dye allergy. We almost mirror your experience. My son had repeated ear infections, allergies etc. It took until he was 5 for me to tie it all together. At 6 months I eliminated tylenol. Then strawberries, then kool-aid. It took a power drink given to him by a coach for us to realize the red was the key factor.
Be vigilant in your stance. We recently had our first migraine due to a red dye allergy in a chicken dinner we did not know had it. Stupid on my part. I should have checked. 5 days later, ER visits, etc. We found it was red dye induced.
The ER DR’s, my Ped., everyone kept trying to medicate him with med’s that they did not know had red in them.
I now work very closely with my Pharmacist to make sure I never pick up an Rx with red.
Our biggest struggle is with med’s. Everything has red!!
I use the red40.com website as a reference and have included a copy in his chart at the Dr and School.
Good Luck and don’t let your guard down. Many people think I am crazy, but, Mother knows best!
Kiddo is currently sick with the flu (he’s been tested for swine flu, and we’re waiting on results – dr. thinks it’s just plain ol’ flu, which is bad enough!). Please be aware that AMANTADINE, and antiviral drug, has red dye in it. He had never been prescribed this before, and we checked with the pharmacy before we left with it. The dr. wound up switching him to Tamiflu – no red dye.
Just a heads up for those of you who are allergic or have family members who are!
I have been sensitive to red dye since i was a child (I’m almost 40) I had one severe reaction after consuming a lot of red punch, depends on the amount i ingest. I cut all red dye out of my diet and avoided lotions/soaps etc. I lived with what I thought was rosacea on my face for years not realizing how many lotions, body sprays contain red dye. My face is clear now except for the occasional break out when I am unaware of red dye use. But at least i know now what to not eat again because the reaction is always the same. Flush face, itching scalp and if it’s a lot upset stomach followed by joint pain.
For the last several years i thought i was allergic to beef because i would have stomach/ joint problems after eating beef. So i stopped eating beef and of course hot dogs which most contain beef and red dye.
Yesterday I discovered some supermarkets put red dye in beef especially ground meat. So as it turns out I am probably not allergic to beef and will be talking to my butcher. I don’t like to eat beef regularly and my family has gotten use to using ground turkey, it’s better for us anyway.
Hope this helps someone.
I too, am so glad to find this site.
My son is 10 y/o and has broke out in hives from Red #40 dye since the age of 3. He has been through all the allergy testings and the Red #40 blood test and everything came back negative.
The reason I was so certain it was Red #40 was with his last outbreak he had been taking Robitussin DM for a cold, which the main ingredient is Red #40. It took him over a week for the hives not to be visible. Even though the test came back negative I have continued to remove Red #40 from his diet.
He had not had an outbreak in over 3 yrs. until this morning. My husband had purchased a chocolate cake and checked the ingredients for Red #40 and it was all clear, so we did not think anything about him eating it. This morning seeing him broke out I am convinced that there had to have been Red #40 in the Chocolate Motherload Cake.
What is worse is he had not missed one day of school this year and with 2 weeks left, he had to miss due to his hands and feet being so swollen.
I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware that the RED#40 blood test is not very accurate and I have discovered that alot of chocolate cakes contain Red #40.
I wasn’t aware there was a Red #40 blood test, but it doesn’t surprise me that it gives a false negative. Parents have to do what they believe is right to protect their kids, including what they ingest. Chocolate cake has been a culprit for us in the past as well. I’m thankful you discovered what it was!
We asked our doctor for a prescription Epi-pen because kiddo’s allergy is so bad, plus we keep prescription Atarax onhand as well.
Thanks for your post!
Wendy, who did your blood test? Ped or Allergist or other? My allergist hates that we use the word “allergic” his said it in an “intolerance”. Tomato – tomato to me.
Not that I need a test. We are certain he can’t ingest it.
Just wondering.
Thanks a million!
I am waiting for our US govt. to ban Red 40 and Red 40 Lake. I have been allergic to both since childhood. As a child, I would break out in hives all over from it. Now, as a 35 year old adult, my throat swells shut and I go into anaphylactic shock. One time I accidentally swallowed ONE pill that had 4 tiny letters in red printing with Red 40 Lake and I almost died. Literally. When will our government wake up? pheynix_risen @ yahoo.com if anyone wants to discuss things related to Red 40.
Great blog!
I recently was diagnosed with adult-onset of food allergies. Some have been a mere nuisance while others have been quite life-threatening.
Throughout this new ordeal, I have discovered that I’ve become “intollerant” or better put…allergic to food additives including, but not limited to artificial dyes.
I concur with my fellow sufferers that Red 40 is a scourge and without a doubt needs to be removed from allergy medicine. I too took allergy medicine with artificial dyes and my condition worsened. How ironic that it was the red and yellow dyes in the Benedryl that was making me more sick. Pathetic!
Keep spreading the word about artificial dyes. They have no place in much of what we consume.
In Feb 2009 my 7 yr old had an allergic reaction while drinking a purple gatorade. Last week he had a severe (ER visit) reaction while eating “birthday cake” flavored Blue Bell ice cream at a party.
The only common ingredients are Blue 1 and Red 40.
I know he ingested these dyes between Feb and July without issue (since I now know they are in everything).
Is a certain concentration of the dye required for a reaction?
The allergist totally dismissed the dye as an allergen which was very frustrating.
thanks for any info!
From our experience, most medical professionals dismiss any food dye as an allergen, despite evidence to the contrary.
For ourselves, when we realized kiddo was having problems, we pulled all of the red dye from his diet. In the beginning, he would ingest the dye several times before he had a reaction, leading me to think it builds up in the body over time before it “overloads”. Now, he reacts within hours of consuming red dye. His allergic reactions continue to worsen each time he’s exposed to it. We even asked our family doctor for an epi-pen prescription in the event he goes into anaphylactic shock.
I am not a doctor so cannot offer advice, but for us, we had to do what we felt was best for our child’s health, regardless of what the “professional opinion” was.
Arksoaper,
I think you spot-on in regards to the build-up in the body of these “toxins”. I was that way with both Yellow Dye #6 (Glasic Pickles” and potasium sorbate (A1 Steak Sauce). It wasn’t until my body reached a saturation point and then had a serious reaction.
Sometimes the warning signs can be subtle during the build-up process. That makes documenting reactions that much tougher.
Good idea on the Epi-Pen. I have one with me at all times. You just never know when the build-up is going to spill over into a full-blown anaphylactic event. It can, does, and will happen for those that are highly sensitive to artificial food dyes.
And from experience in ERs, having an Epi-Pen with you gets you placed at “the front of the line” so to speak in getting in. I’ve walked into ER’s with an Epi-Pen in my hand it gets the staff’s attention right quick.
I came across your page when I googled “allergies to red food dyes” My daughter is almost 2 and recently broke out with a rash on her face and her lips swelled a lot after she got my coffee creamer and drank some. After looking at the ingredients I noticed a dye on it, took about 6 hours and it was finally gone.. The next day she went to a friends house and had a yogurt and instantly the same thing happened… Again, dyes! So we bought a yogurt that had dye in it (I try my best to feed her all organic/natural stuff) And sure enough her cheeks sweeled and she got a rash.. I havent taken her to the doctors yet, just have to change her diet and make sure there is no artificial colors..
Thanks for writing this!