Dietary Exposure to United States Food and Drug Administration-Approved Synthetic Food Colors in Children, Pregnant Women, and Women of Childbearing Age Living in the United States

Asa Bradman (), Rosemary Castorina, Ruwan Thilakaratne, Mayela Gillan, Teja Pattabhiraman, Anuroop Nirula, Melanie Marty and Mark D. Miller
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Asa Bradman: Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Rosemary Castorina: Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Ruwan Thilakaratne: Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Mayela Gillan: Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Teja Pattabhiraman: Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Anuroop Nirula: Center for Environmental Research and Community Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California at Berkeley, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 265, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Melanie Marty: California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
Mark D. Miller: California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates artificial food colors (AFCs) in the United States. Exposure to AFCs has raised concerns about adverse behavioral effects in children. We quantified AFC exposure in women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and children and compared them to FDA and World Health Organization acceptable daily intakes (ADIs). We estimated the “typical” and “high” single-day and two-day average dietary exposure to each AFC (mg/kg/day) based on laboratory measurements and food consumption data from the 2015–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We also examined whether AFC intake differed by income, education, and ethnicity. Exposure tended to be higher in children and the highest AFC exposure was found for Red No. 40. Children’s mean and 95th percentile FD&C Red No. 3 estimated intakes exceeded the ADIs in some instances. Juice drinks, soft drinks, icings, and ice cream cones were major foods contributing to children’s (<16 years old) AFC exposure. AFC intake was higher in participants with lower incomes and education and of African American ethnicity. The findings indicate widespread AFC exposure including in very young children. Research is needed on the sociodemographic determinants of exposure and AFC toxicokinetics to better describe the absorption and organ-specific exposure.

Keywords: human exposure; food dye; erythrosine; children; pregnant women; ADI; NHANES (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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