Americans on social media were shocked to learn that some of the foods they see every day come with health warning labels in other countries.
In a new video, Swedish TikTok user SwedishJohan shared a video from within the American section of his local store that sells candies such as Airheads, Laffy Taffy and Sour Patch Kids.
In it, he flipped over a watermelon flavored Airhead, a fruit flavored taffy bar, showing that on top of the normal nutrition label, there was a paper tag that listed a warning.
When translated, the warning reads: ‘Contains the AZO dyes e129, e110, e102 which can have a negative effect on children’s behavior and concentration.’
These are also known as Red40, Yellow 6 and Yellow5 and are perfectly legal in the US but heavily regulated in Europe.
In children, research has linked these dyes to behavioral problems like ADHD, restlessness, inattentiveness, aggression, irritability and problems sleeping.
Johan said: ‘So American candy comes with warning labels here in Europe‘.
American users reacted immediately, with one user saying: ‘As an American, as always, I’m embarrassed.’
Johan is a TikToker and father of two based in Sweden. In his initial video, which has over 88thousand likes and more than 2800 comments, he said: ‘we have very strict food regulations of what should and not should be put in food or edibles in Europe.’
The translation of this warning reads: ‘Contains the AZO dyes e129, e110, e102 which can have a negative effect on children’s behavior and concentration.’
Another user said: ‘If someone in Sweden were to make an app detailing all of the warning labels for foods in the US it would be very helpful. We could read them here in the US and it would help us Americans be aware.’
The EU hasn’t outlawed the three dyes, but a 2008 law says that any manufacturer that uses these products must put a warning label on their product.
This has meant that many manufacturers have decided to swap the synthetic colorants for natural options.
The three dyes are made from petroleum-oil, and found in more than 36,000 food products sold in the US, according to a 2024 report from the Environmental Working Group.
They are also found in cosmetics, medications and personal care products like soap.
Though these dyes are used nationally and are deemed safe by the FDA, In some states, there’s been movement to ban food dyes.
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment examined 27 older clinical trials on animals and children and released a report in 2021 confirming that there was a link between these dyes and behavioral problems in children.
Specifically, these dyes could trigger symptoms of ADHA and irritability in some children, or make children who already have those problems have worst symptoms.
The director of the OEHHA, Dr Lauren Zeise, linked these dyes to the uptick in childhood ADHD diagnoses.
Dr Zeise said: ‘With increasing numbers of U.S. children diagnosed with behavioral disorders, this assessment can inform efforts to protect children from exposures that may exacerbate behavioral problems’
This led Governor Gavin Newsom to sign a new law which bans Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3 from foods that are served in public schools in the state.
Companies have until December 2027 to get rid of these dyes and replace them with natural colorants like beet juice, or they’re under threat of fines.
As of October 2024, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and South Dakota, are also considering limitations on some food dyes.
In a follow up video, Johan went to Costco to see the additives in candy there. Most of the candies he found were EU manufactured, and didn’t contain synthetic dyes. The one he found with dye was American-made Laffy Taffy, which contained Red 40 (Allura Red) and Yellow 5 (Tartrazine)
It’s not clear how these chemicals may cause behavioral changes.
According to University of California Merced, older research in animals has shown that these chemicals may alter the kind and amount of neurotransmitters released by the brain.
Neurotransmitters are the signals which control how the brain functions – and play an important role in mood, decision-making and sleep.
In the past, dyes have also been linked to cancer. In 1990, the FDA banned Red 3 from cosmetics after reports linked it to thyroid cancer.
Studies in the 1980s in lab animals found that those dosed with high amounts of the dye were more likely to develop thyroid cancer than other animals.
Still, researchers estimated it was unlikely for humans to develop thyroid tumors form red dye, since they aren’t consuming anywhere near the amount laboratory animals were. One estimate found that Red 3 likely causing one in 100,000 thyroid tumors.
With this evidence, FDA officials said that they planned to phase the chemical out of food products.
Despite promises to the contrary, EWG said the FDA has yet to follow through on banning Red 3 from food products – and it can be detected in 3,300 sold in the US.
EU banned this from most food products in 1994. This particular dye was not found in any of the products that Johan highlighted.
