Love you til you dye: IATP tracks Valentine’s food coloring

Come Saturday, fire-engine-red candies and other Valentine’s Day treats will fly off the shelves, but the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy offers a warning, especially for parents. “The latest science indicates that even modest amounts of synthetic food dyes can affect learning in children,” said IATP’s David Wallinga, M.D. Synthetic dyes, made from petrochemicals, can contribute to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in kids.

To help parents navigate the ins and outs of such dyes, IATP has produced a free searchable database of synthetic food-dyes. Search for products by local companies, including Target and General Mills, or find out which synthetic dyes are in products like Mars’ M&Ms (M&Ms use two FDA-approved dyes — Sunset Yellow and Brilliant Blue — that are subject to a voluntary ban in the UK). To give it context, IATP also offers the free pdf, “Smart Guide to Food Dyes.” Sweet.

Image via Candy Hearts Generator.