Organic foods offer alternative to foods containing food dyes, pesticides linked to raising children’s risk of ADHD

Source: Organic Trade Association

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 29, 2011)—The Organic Trade Association (OTA) encourages consumers who wish to avoid exposing their children to pesticides and synthetic food dyes linked to possible increased risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to choose organic foods when they shop.

“Organic food production and processing represent the only system that uses certification and inspection to verify that synthetic food dyes and chemicals are not used,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s Executive Director and CEO. “Those seeking to minimize their exposure to these chemicals can look for the USDA Organic label wherever they buy food.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Food Advisory Committee meets this week to review whether there is a possible association between synthetic food dyes and children’s risk of ADHD. Prompting the review are results from a 2007 study conducted by the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, a 2008 petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest asking FDA to ban the nine certified color additives currently allowed in foods sold in the United States that were cited in the Southampton findings, and action by the European Union in July 2010 requiring warning labels on the foods containing the color additives in question.

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