So we had a discussion on here recently about the judge on Cupcake Wars saying isomalt was inedible in which we were saying splenda and isomalt are in the same sucralose family and it certainly is edible with caveats. So I goggled to see what I could find about that and this led me to an intriguing tangent.

So we all know that food color has never ever been 'the healthiest of ingredients' and I already know more about it than I care to recall but check out this list that I found in the isomalt/splenda search that features three levels of food additives:

A Safe List Of Additives
An Unsafe List Of Additives
An Uncertain list Of Additives

http://www.diet-blog.com/08/which_food_additives_are_safe_unsafe_or_questionable.php

Where this is featured on The Unsafe list, not The Uncertain but the Unsafe Food Additive List on this random webpage:

So pretty interesting huh?
While it gives us all pause, will that change anything for you?

I'm hoping we get someone who is more scientific than I am (99.9% of you doing a bit more in depth research too.

Elcee, the reason food color is inadequately tested is because it cannot pass the tests. They have to change up the formulas all the time. Ergo, today's formula has not been tested properly, but the formula before this one that we did or would have tested failed or was fixing to fail so that's why we changed it. Revolving door.

But I thought the red dye in my red velvet cake is made out of ground bugs??!! I told that to someone some time ago and she doesn't eat red velvet cake anymore. I would rather have that one though, than the synthetic dye. But as with everything, I am sure you would have to eat lots of it.

Yes some reds are made from bugs. Your friend needs to avoid barbeque potato chips too among other things. Peppermint candies--anything colored red or purple or black might be made outa bugs probably is.

And no you don't need a lot to get a bad reaction. My hyperactive kid had a huge reaction to red food color. And for example only a small percentage of rat poison is actually poison but that small amount gets the job done.

Red velvet has a ton of color in it.

I knew about red. I did not know about green, blue and yellow.

Thanks for posting this, K8. I knew about some but this really does make me pause and think. I stay away from dyes for my own food/cakes. It doesn't take a lot to cause an effect. I know a few kids who have that same reaction as your son. It also causes skin irritations. I did an allergy test last year and they only use a tiny amount to test for it.

I've been saying this for years and stick to it, I firmly believe that was seems to be a surge of cancer cases over the last decade or so (who doesn't know someone currently battling or that has lost a battle?) is largely due to the "evolution" of our food and what's going in it. What we put into our bodies. It's all about convenience and quick foods which means more preservatives, additives, etc. I don't think it's the only cause but a main factor.

Anyway, before I go off on that tangent, thanks K8. I'm off to google.

I think if you read too much stuff like this you can become really paranoid...........I don't think anyone is drinking a gallon of any of this stuff and all things in moderation is a good idea