article_snippet: Studies in experimental animals have linked high doses of food dyes to health problems, among food dyes organ damage, cancer, birth defects, and allergic reactions.
article_snippet: In humans, studies link food dyes to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in young children.
article_snippet: On the basis of current evidence, some artificial food dyes have been banned, while others remain in use despite suggestions that others too might be harmful.  
article_snippet: But the makers and users of food dyes argue that the chemicals are safe at current levels of usage.
article_snippet: As a result of all this, and in the absence of convincing evidence of their safety, the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest has campaigned since the 1970s to remove food dyes and other chemicals from foods, and has continued to petition the Food and Drug Administration to ban food dyes and other chemicals.
article_snippet: Kraft removing artificial dyes from some mac and cheese .
article_snippet: The opposing views complicate the regulatory status of food dyes.
article_snippet: But after one clinical trial reported that dyes induce hyperactivity in half the children studied, the British government asked companies to stop using most food colors; the European Union requires a warning notice on many foods made with companies.
article_snippet: In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration does not permit artificial food dyes to be used unless the manufacturers can meet safety requirements.
article_snippet: But the amounts of these substances in the country's food supply have greatly increased in recent years -- soft drinks, breakfast cereals, frozen desserts and even salad dressings all contain artificial coloring agents.
article_snippet: True, the Food and Drug Administration considers a dye to be safe if there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the Food and Drug Administration intended use.
article_snippet: Given the unresolved scientific questions, it is reasonable to ask why artificial colors have to be in foods at all.
article_snippet: From the standpoint of manufacturers, such additives are essential for covering up and hiding unattractive colors in processed foods.
article_snippet: The truth is that whether artificial colors do or do not cause health problems in adults or children, health problems in adults or children are there strictly for cosmetic purposes.