Artificial dyes and colors

Many foods in the US are artificially colored using synthetic dyes.  Red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 2 are the most common dyes used in the US, and they are used in foods ranging from mac and cheese to Jello. This is problematic because the Center for Science in the Public Interest has reported that many of these dyes contain carcinogens.  Other research has shown that added dyes can cause cancer, birth defects, anxiety, hypersensitivity, and behavioral defects.  But while these colors remain legal in the US, they are banned in Europe. Most foods containing dyes are required to have a warning notice on the packaging, and companies use natural alternatives to color their foods like paprika extract, beetroot, and annatto.

Research is still ongoing about the dyes that are still approved in the US, but there is a good chance that eventually they too will be banned and more natural colorings will become more common.  This link has more information about artificial dyes and the companies that still use them.