A Georgia couple’s testimony helped pass the first state ban on synthetic chemicals in food.
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The dyes come from crude oil and has been tied to behavioral issues in some children.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Sophia Choi said family is on a mission to get the word out about food dyes and how they affect people, especially kids.
“I urge you to prioritize children and their future over industry and convenience,” Whitney Cawood said in testimony to West Virginia lawmakers.
That testimony helped pass the first ban on synthetic chemicals in food.
They made a documentary about their own experience and how science backs up what they suspected.
Atreyu Cawood, 6 years old, is calm as he plays with his sister, 4-year-old Aslyn.
It is a total 180 from how he acted while eating foods with synthetic dyes over three years ago.
“He had lots of fits and hitting and biting and tantrums,” said Atreyu’s mother Whitney Cawood.
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The Cawoods went to all sorts of doctors with no real improvements. Then they decided to look at his diet.
“We did an elimination diet, and we determined that synthetic dyes were causing 98% of his issues,” said Whitney Cawood.
Research shows synthetic dyes can cause behavioral issues including hyperactivity and aggression in some children.
“It was kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” said Atreyu’s father Brandon Cawood.
The FDA took a big step just this year, banning cancer-linked red dye 3 in food. The Cawoods hope to get them all banned in all states, including Georgia.
The International Association of Color Manufacturers sent Channel 2 Action News this statement:
“Colors are safely used as ingredients in consumer products, are among the most widely studied food ingredients, and are subject to strict global regulatory requirements. Color additives play an important role in food, and they do so without posing a health risk to children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international regulatory bodies have all concluded that food colors are safe for children and no study has offered compelling evidence that these colors cause adverse behaviors.”
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