According to The New York Times, a U.S. government advisory panel voted on March 31 stating that there is no proof that foods with artificial colorings cause hyperactivity in most children and there is no need for these foods to carry special warning labels.
April 4, 2011
According to The New York Times, a U.S. government advisory panel voted on March 31 stating that there is no proof that foods with artificial colorings cause hyperactivity in most children and there is no need for these foods to carry special warning labels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) convened the expert panel after agency scientists for the first time decided that while typical children may be unaffected by the dyes, those with behavior problems may see their symptoms worsen by eating food with synthetic color additives.
Once the agency conceded that some children might be negatively affected by the foods, it had to decide what to do. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group, petitioned the agency to ban the dyes or, at the very least, mandate warnings that foods containing the dyes cause hyperactivity in children. Major food manufacturers staunchly defended the safety of artificial dyes and said no bans or warnings were needed.
The FDA did not ask the committee about a ban, and the committee voted 8 to 6 that even a warning was not needed.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association hailed the votes: "We agree with today’s FDA's advisory committee finding which determined that there is insufficient evidence of a causal link between artificial colors and hyperactivity in children."
The New York Times
article
GMA statement
FDA background document