Your Daily Additives – Dye Week – Blue #2

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I have to ask: If you need protective gloves, splash goggles, lab coat and a respirator, should whatever your working with stay in a lab and not be put in food? Do you have to consult a specialist before cleaning up say, a large amount of flour? There should be a general concern when the Food and Drug Administration states: Sum of volatile matter not more than 15 percent. But, the FDA seems to still recognize that Blue #2, petroleum derivatives, are safe as a food substance.

If you see something that clearly states: Harmful if swallowed, if swallowed, seek medical advice immediately, keep out of the reach of children, avoid contact with skin and eyes, would you avoid it? Because those are some of the warnings associated with Blue #2 and again, it’s still allowed in food. I always stress, regardless the amounts in food, how low the toxicity may be, or the regulations and standards, it’s still laced with synthetic, cancer producing, tumor growing chemicals substances.

 

General research:

Blue #2

The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 may be safely used for coloring foods (including dietary supplements) Widely used to color beverages, candies, pet foods, and many other foods and drugs. Contains Mercury, Arsenic and Lead among many other “volatile” chemicals.

Given the statistically significant occurrence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats, Blue 2 cannot be considered safe for human consumption. Since Blue 2 is a non-nutritive food additive that does not provide any health benefit and there is hardly “convincing evidence” of safety, it should not be permitted for human consumption.

The Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Toxicology Program concluded that Blue 2 is safe for consumption, citing a lack of evidence for a dose-related trend; lack of non-neoplastic cellular changes in addition to new and abnormal development of cells that may be benign or malignant, no reduction in latency period, no varying progression of brain tumors.

Blue 2 crosses blood-brain-barrier, has negative mutagenicity assays, but lack of evidence in structure-activity analysis (FDA 1983).

The dye is readily broken down in the GI tract, and the final breakdown product, 5-sulfoanthranilic acid, is absorbed and excreted mostly in the urine. However, there are no metabolism studies in humans.

Blue 2 did not affect reproduction or cause birth defects in rats or rabbits. Two chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity studies in mice did not find any problems, but they were flawed because they did not include an in utero phase and were shorter than two years. (Per the FDA, studies in this field require a two year period standard and the FDA decided to cut it short for “testing”)

Blue 2 had inconclusive studies because they were to brief and did not include in utero exposure testing (per the FDA) Also, dosage was likely too low;  but possible brain and bladder tumors

More worrisome was a chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity study in rats that found that males in the 2% dose group had statistically significant increases in brain gliomas and malignant mammary gland tumors.

The male rats also had dose-related increased incidences of transitional cell neoplasms of the urinary bladder. This product contains a cationic dye. Similar dyes have caused permanent injury to the cornea and conjunctiva in documented cases with human or rabbit eyes.

Genotoxicity study

  • Chromosomal aberration test, CHL cells; Chromosomal aberrations; 12 mg/ml; Positive (Ishidate, Senoo et al. 1974)

Personal Protection: Splash goggles. Lab coat. Dust respirator. Be sure to use an approved/certified respirator or equivalent. Gloves.

Personal Protection in Case of a Large Spill: Splash goggles. Full suit. Dust respirator. Boots. Gloves. A self contained breathing apparatus should be used to avoid inhalation of the product. Suggested protective clothing might not be sufficient; consult a specialist BEFORE handling this product.

  • Inhalation: May cause respiratory tract irritation.
  • Ingestion: May be harmful if swallowed. May cause gastrointestinal tract irritation with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Other Regulations

EINECS: This product is on the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances.

DSCL (EEC):

  • R22- Harmful if swallowed.
  • R36- Irritating to eyes.
  • S2- Keep out of the reach of children.
  • S22- Do not breathe dust.
  • S24/25-Avoid contact with skin and eyes.
  • S46- If swallowed, seek medical advice immediately and show this container or label.

These products are carbon oxides (CO, CO2), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2…), sulfur oxides (SO2, SO3…). Some metallic oxides.

References

Legal G.R.A.S http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/184.1

G.R.A.S. List http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnNavigation.cfm?rpt=eafusListing

Some extra reading material

John Parks
For two years I've thoroughly enjoyed researching the food additives "scientests" produce and put into all processed food. Also how the FDA classifies them as G.R.A.S. (Generally Recognized As Safe) With about 95% of the research I've done over the last two years the actual science, toxicity reports, manufacturing processes and pure technical aspect of it suggests otherwise.

When you see something that is "hazardous by definition", toxic, poisonous or corrosive and it's in the food you're eating, you would surely have to stop, think and ask, "That's going to go in me. Wait... It passes through the placental barrier? It decreases the testicular weight in mice? It's produced with volvano ash? It's processed with asbestos and krypton gas?"

Now, my main argument is this: If you know the food additive is toxic, corrosive or hazardous by definition, if it requires flammable or corrosive DOT stickers while transporting, if it has saftey precautions, spill procedures and you must wear suitable protective clothing while handling... Can you even assume it's safe to eat?

Irregardless of the exposure limits, the actual amount in food itself, how many regulations and standards there are or how low the toxicity may be... It is the general principle that the additives are still put in the foods you eat on a daily basis. I personally don't believe that when a tomato is dropped you have to evacuate the area and seal off the exits. Because that is exactly the procedure for some of the chemcial agents the FDA allowed in food.