Questions & Answers About Food Color Additives

What you should know about approved food additives. Often, the names given to additives and other ingredients in our food can make them seem confusing and off-putting, even to the savviest shopper. But food additives perform specific, positive functions in food, such as enhancing safety and freshness and improving the taste, texture and appearance of products. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the safety of food additives and allows only the use of those that are deemed safe. Color additives (also known as food colors) are one category of approved food additives. They not only play a key role in the enjoyment of our food; they also do so without posing a health risk to consumers. Why are food colors used? According to expert Charles Spence, in his article “On the psychological impact of food color,” “color is the single most important sensory cue to expectations about the likely taste and flavor of food and drink.” Food colors often allow us to easily identify our preferred food choices and can enhance food’s overall appeal. They may augment the naturally occurring color of a food and/or provide a consistent color in a food for which the color may vary (due to, for example, exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture, storage conditions, or production elements). What are the categories of food colors? Certified colors are synthetically produced (or human-made) and used widely because they impart an intense, uniform color and blend more easily to create a variety of consistent hues. There are nine certified color additives approved for use in the United States: Color Additive Names That May Be Found on Product Labels What They Do Examples of Uses FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2 FD&C Green No. 3 FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40 […]

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What the Current Science Says About Hyperactivity and Food Colors

The color of our food can have a big influence on what and how we eat. A boring grey or brown slab doesn’t look appealing to most, which is why many food scientists and processors use food color additives to enhance the appearance of foods. All food color additives in the U.S. food supply are safe for human consumption, and counter to some news reports, there is limited science that food colors increase hyperactivity in children. This claim has not been proven, but research scientists continue to explore this potential connection. The safety of food color additives The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assesses the safety of food additives, including food color additives, before they are allowed for use in the U.S. food supply. Following their rigorous safety assessment, the FDA will indentify whether or not particular color additives are safe for human food, cosmetics, and/or medical devices. Food color additives may include artificially created substances—such as blue, yellow, and red dyes—as well as naturally derived substances, such as beet or carrot extracts. The FDA determines a substance’s safety based on the amount expected to be consumed, its expected short- and long-term effects, as well as other factors. The recommended safe level for consumption is then typically set at a much lower level than is determined safest as a precaution in case someone consumes more than the recommendation. Since not all food consumed in the U.S. has been produced in the U.S., the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations and the World Health Organization have created the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) to assess the safety of any food additives that are internationally traded. This means that all foods produced and brought into the U.S. go through a rigorous process to determine safety before they […]

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Soy Series, Part 2: Soy-derived Ingredients

We’re in the thick of a four-part series on the basics of soy. The first article in this series focused on whole-soybean food products. In this second article, we’ll discuss ingredients made from soy that are used in many familiar foods. What food ingredients are made from soy? In the first article in our soy series, we talked about the nutritional components of whole soybeans and explained that soy is a mixture of carbohydrates, fat and protein along with nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Now we’re diving into food ingredients derived from soy, which are primarily made from the carbohydrate and protein parts of the soybean. These ingredients often are created by separating specific parts of the bean from its other components, a process that usually starts with removing the soybean oil (more on this process in our next article—stay tuned). When the oil has been separated from the other soybean components, what remains is a product that’s higher in protein and carbohydrates, including dietary fiber. Further processing steps create a wide range of soy-derived food ingredients that have many uses in our food supply. Examples of food ingredients derived from soy: Now that we’re familiar with whole soybean foods and food ingredients primarily based on soy’s protein and carbohydrate content, our next topic to tackle is soybean oil. We’ll fill you in on how the dietary fat found in soybeans is made and used in our food supply in the third article of our soy series.

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Soy Series, Part One: The Basics of Whole Soybean Foods

If our 2019 Food and Health Survey and perhaps many conversations you’ve had yourself about food this year are any indication, plant-based protein is big and its presence in our dietary lexicon is on the rise. Soy foods have been a key player in this arena for decades, and they’re seeing even more attention as part of a new wave of plant-centric products. Since soy is so versatile, we’re launching a four-part series on the basics of soy foods. The first article in this series focuses on whole soybean food products, the second article discusses soy-derived ingredients used in many familiar foods, and the third homes in on soybean oil. We wrap things up with our fourth article, which looks at how soy foods impact our health. What is soy? Soy is technically classified as a legume, a group of plants whose seeds grow in enclosed pods, like peas and peanuts. But soy’s nutritional content sets it apart from most others in the legume family: Soybeans are much higher in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrates than other legumes. In addition, unlike other plant protein sources, soy is considered a complete protein since it contains each of the essential amino acids our body needs for cell metabolism, building and repairing tissues, and providing energy. In addition to its high protein content, soy is a source of fiber, polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. It’s also a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known for their cardioprotective effects. Compared with other legumes, soybeans contain more calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium, all of which have been identified as under-consumed nutrients in the American diet. Lastly, soy provides a high concentration of isoflavones, which are plant-derived compounds that can behave like a weaker form of human estrogen and exert positive effects on our health. Examples […]

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The Joy of Soy Milk

The Joy of Soy Milk Hopefully you enjoyed learning a bit more about how cow’s milk is produced and the nutritional benefits of consuming it from the first installment in our “Milk Series.” Many people like cow’s milk, many do not. And for some, there may be dietary restrictions that prohibit them from drinking cow’s milk or enjoying other dairy products. For these folks there are dairy alternatives such as soy milk, coconut milk and almond milk. Heard of these dairy alternates before? Well, if not, read on to first learn more about soy milk—a healthy and great-tasting milk alternative. And guess what! We are just in time to celebrate National Soyfoods Month (April).  In the next installments in our series, we will cover coconut and almond milk. Soybean Farming First things first: We want to tell you where soy milk comes from. Of course, there are no “soy-cows” out there being milked, so let’s shed a little light on how this healthy beverage is produced. It all starts with soybeans. Ah, little soybean, who knew you were so awesome? Well, many food nerds, like us around here, do! Soybeans are among the top commodities in the United States. Farmers have invested years of effort to guarantee high productivity of their crops by ensuring proper soil drainage, sowing disease-resistant seeds, picking the right time of spring to plant (mid-April is best) and supplying optimal amounts of nitrogen to the soil.  In U.S. farming, there are three main kinds of soybeans: green, black and yellow. Green soybeans can be eaten as is (yummy edamame), black soybeans are for drying and yellow soybeans can be used to produce our beloved soy milk. Once the soybeans are harvested, the pods are dipped in boiling water so that the beans can be more easily […]

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Infant and Toddler Feeding from Birth to 23 Months: Making Every Bite Count

The first two years of your child’s life is important for proper growth and development. It is also critical for establishing healthy dietary patterns for later in life. You likely have many questions about this important life stage including: what do you feed a newborn infant?, when are infants ready for solid foods?, which foods should be given and when?, how much food is enough? or when is the right time to introduce potentially allergenic foods, such as peanuts? This resource provides information on infant and toddler feeding from birth through twenty-three months of age, including information on breastfeeding, infant formula, the introduction of solid foods and infant safety while eating. Keep in mind that every infant is different, and their diets may vary depending on many factors such as age, stage of development and nutritional needs. Ask your pediatric nurse practitioner, pediatrician, registered dietitian or other healthcare provider for more specific feeding advice. Newborns For about the first six months of life, infants should be exclusively fed human milk, which is also called breastfeeding1,2. Young infants are not ready for solid foods. They are unable to safely swallow solid foods and their stomachs are not able to digest solids well. When possible, breastfeeding should be continued through at least the first year of life while introducing complementary foods; longer if desired.3,4 Iron-fortified infant formula is an option if a mother has trouble breastfeeding, or if human milk is unavailable or not compatible with the infant’s specific needs. Infant formulas are designed to meet the nutritional needs of infants for the first year of life and are not recommended beyond age 12 months. Human milk can support your infant’s nutrient needs for about the first six months of life, except for vitamin D and potentially iron. It’s generally recommended to […]

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Potassium Fact Sheet

Download the Potassium Fact Sheet here Potassium is a nutrient that is essential for health at the most basic level – it keeps the body’s cells functioning properly. Along with sodium and other compounds, potassium is an electrolyte, working to regulate the balance of body fluids. These actions affect nerve signaling, muscle contraction, and the tone of blood vessels, with far-reaching impacts on the body. Potassium and human health Potassium plays a critical role in human health. It is involved in maintaining blood pressure and reducing risk of stroke, preserving calcium stores in bone and helping the kidneys work efficiently.¹⁻⁵ Dietary potassium is beneficial on its own and through its effects on the body’s management of sodium. The benefits of potassium on hypertension and stroke are also captured within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s health claim, which states, “Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium intake may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.”⁶ Potassium and sodium are both essential nutrients that interact with each other within the body. Potassium is pulled into cells while sodium is pushed out, and this interaction helps to power the transmission of signals along nerves and the contraction of muscles. Both nutrients are used to help maintain fluid and blood volume in the body. However, detrimental issues may arise when potassium intake is insufficient and/or when sodium intake is too high. The sodium to potassium ratio provides a method of assessing sodium intake compared with potassium intake. Ideally, sodium intake values should be less than potassium; however, that typically is not the case. Today, average sodium intake (3,400 milligrams (mg)/day) is higher than average potassium intake (2,500 mg/day), a ratio of 1.36 to 1.7 Greater intake of potassium-containing foods combined with reductions in sodium intake […]

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Soy Series, Part 3: Soybean Oil

This article is the third in a four-part series on the basics of soy. The first article in this series focused on whole-soybean food products and the second tackled soy-derived ingredients. In this article, we’ll discuss one of the most widely consumed cooking oils: soybean oil. What is soybean oil? Soybean oil is made by extracting oil from whole soybeans. This process involves dehulling and crushing soybeans, separating the oil from the rest of the bean, and distilling and refining it to remove contaminants that may affect the flavor, smell and color of the oil. Soybean oil is used in a wide variety of packaged foods, baked goods, snacks, dressings and sauces, in addition to being sold on its own as a cooking oil. It’s considered to be a vegetable oil and is often sold as a blend with other oils, including canola, corn, safflower and sunflower oils. Liquid plant-derived oils such as soybean oil primarily contain unsaturated fatty acids, which makes them beneficial to our health. Soybean oil is high in polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It’s a source of linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid that we need to get from food because our bodies can’t make it on their own. Like other types of oils, soybean oil also contains monounsaturated fats like oleic acid and is low in saturated fat. While polyunsaturated fats are considered to be the type of fat that is most beneficial to our health, their structure makes them a little less stable and more vulnerable to spoilage. As a result, newer varieties of soybeans have been bred to have a higher amount of monounsaturated fats. These new varieties are called high-oleic soybean oils. High-oleic oils are more stable and can be used in applications like high-heat cooking and frying for longer periods of time. In addition to its fatty […]

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