Made from petroleum, red dye 40 is a synthetic food dye. Some studies suggest a link between red dye 40 and ADHD behavior; the dye might trigger or exacerbate behavioral changes in sensitive children.
While they go by many different names that often vary by country, the eight dyes approved in the United States include Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 2, and Red 40.
The US Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food, beverages and ingested drugs, more than 30 years after scientists discovered links to cancer in animals ...