In recent years, both FDA and the food industry have faced criticism from consumer safety groups and the media related to the use of artificial colors in food, particularly where some ingredients are not approved or have been discontinued in other countries due to alleged safety concerns.  Last year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released a report criticizing the continued use of artificial colors in the United States, alleging that the use of such dyes may trigger behavioral problems in children, and urging FDA to take action to ban or curtail the use of such dyes.

On February 16, 2017, California state Senator Bob Wieckowski jumped into the fray, introducing a bill to require warning labels on all foods containing synthetic dyes.  As support for the bill, the Senator cited to “mounting evidence” that synthetic food dyes contained in child-oriented food products trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in some children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other behavioral disorders.  However, the food industry generally disputes the scientific validity of the alleged link to children’s behavior, consistent with FDA’s longstanding position that there is insufficient evidence of a causal effect between food dyes and behavioral problems.

It remains to be seen how this bill will fare given the contentious scientific issues involved.