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Why Natural Food Dyes Aren't Always Safer

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  Published in Food and Wine on Monday, September 15th 2025 at 7:58 GMT by Time
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Natural Food Dyes May Be Worse for Your Health Than Artificial Ones, Scientists Warn

The word “natural” has long been a badge of honor in the food industry, implying purity, safety, and healthfulness. Yet a new wave of research suggests that the very dyes marketed as “natural” may be more hazardous than their synthetic counterparts. A recent Time article, “Natural Food Dyes May Be Worse for Your Health Than Artificial Ones, Scientists Warn,” chronicles this unsettling revelation, the science behind it, and the regulatory gaps that allow potentially dangerous ingredients to reach grocery shelves.

A Surprising Twist on the “Natural” Narrative

The article opens with a stark headline: Scientists warn that natural food dyes may pose greater health risks than artificial ones. The source of this warning is a study published in the journal Nature Communications (2023) by Dr. Anna K. L. Lee and her colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In a series of in vitro experiments, the team tested 30 natural colorants—ranging from beetroot extract and turmeric powder to spirulina and paprika—alongside common synthetic dyes such as tartrazine and Sunset Yellow. Using cell‑based assays and a mouse model, they found that several natural dyes induced DNA damage, increased oxidative stress, and, in some cases, triggered low‑grade inflammatory responses.

What was unexpected, the Time piece notes, was that the “natural” dyes performed worse on certain toxicity metrics than the synthetic dyes that have been under scrutiny for decades. “It turns out that ‘natural’ doesn’t automatically mean safer,” Lee says. “Some natural dyes contain compounds that become toxic when processed or when they interact with the body’s metabolism.”

Why Natural Dyes Can Be Toxic

The article delves into the chemistry behind the findings. Natural dyes are extracted from plant, fungal, or microbial sources. These raw materials often contain a cocktail of pigments, antioxidants, and, importantly, secondary metabolites—organic compounds plants produce for defense. Many of these metabolites have biological activity that can be harmful if consumed in high amounts or when the plant matrix is altered.

Two main mechanisms are highlighted:

1. Processing by‑products – Many natural colorants are produced via extraction with solvents, heating, or fermentation. These steps can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) or form heterocyclic amines, compounds linked to carcinogenicity. For instance, the article quotes a study by the European Food Safety Authority that found that heat‑treated beet juice extracts contain elevated levels of acrolein, a known irritant.

2. Pesticide and heavy‑metal contamination – Organic crops are more susceptible to pesticide use. Even when organic, some plants accumulate heavy metals from the soil. The Time piece references the US Environmental Protection Agency data that show higher levels of cadmium and arsenic in certain organic produce batches. These contaminants can concentrate during dye extraction, raising the risk to consumers.

The article also highlights that the regulatory definitions differ. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits a dye to be labeled “natural” if it is derived from a natural source, but it does not require the absence of toxic by‑products or contaminants. The European Union, by contrast, has stricter limits on pesticide residues and requires a more thorough safety assessment of colorants.

The Regulatory Gap

A key theme in the article is the lag between scientific discovery and regulatory action. While the FDA has updated its list of approved synthetic dyes several times, it has largely left the natural dyes untouched, citing that the current data do not yet warrant a change. The article links to the FDA’s Food Additives Status Report, which indicates that most natural dyes remain on the “list of ingredients that may be used in food” without specific safety thresholds.

Experts quoted in the piece argue that this stance is risky. “We’re essentially giving the green light to a product that may be more harmful than the old, well‑studied synthetic dyes,” says Dr. Michael B. Rosen, a toxicologist at the University of California, Berkeley. He points out that the FDA’s own safety guidelines for natural dyes are older than 30 years and do not account for recent findings on contaminants and processing by‑products.

The article also cites a new proposal by the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to re‑evaluate natural dyes under a new “nutrient‑like” framework, akin to how the agency classifies vitamins. However, the proposal has faced pushback from the food industry, which argues that the costs of re‑testing and reformulating would be prohibitive.

Implications for Consumers

What does this mean for everyday shoppers? The article suggests a few practical steps:

• Read labels carefully. A product labeled “natural” may still contain a dye that was chemically processed. Look for additional descriptors such as “pesticide‑free” or “organic,” and check the ingredient list for any of the 30 dyes identified in the study.

• Choose certified brands. Organizations like the Certified Organic program or the USDA Organic seal provide stricter oversight over pesticide use and processing methods. However, the Time piece cautions that even organic dyes can contain contaminants, so consumers should remain vigilant.

• Support transparency. Companies that disclose their dye extraction methods—such as cold‑press versus solvent extraction—are more likely to minimize harmful by‑products.

The article closes on an optimistic note, highlighting a growing trend toward clean‑label ingredients and the emergence of alternative natural dyes derived from algae or yeast, which may offer the desired color without the associated toxicity.

Looking Ahead

The Time article underscores a crucial truth: the label “natural” is not a guarantee of safety. As scientists uncover new data on the unintended health effects of natural food dyes, the food industry and regulators face the challenge of balancing innovation, consumer expectations, and public health. The upcoming FDA meeting on food colorants, scheduled for early 2026, is expected to consider these findings and potentially set new safety standards for natural dyes. For now, consumers, scientists, and regulators alike are forced to reevaluate what we consider “natural” in the foods we eat.