Food dye, ADHD, and Corporate Lies: How Big Food Targets Your Kids | Vani Hari
Mark Hyman
Apr 9, 2025
Episode description
Are U.S. food companies cutting corners at the expense of your health? Vani Hari, known to many as the Food Babe, thinks so—and she’s spent over a decade sounding the alarm. In this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, she shares why she believes many American products are still made with harmful additives and dyes, even though companies have found ways to remove them in versions sold abroad.
In our conversation, she explains:
Why she believes Kellogg’s and other U.S. brands aren’t doing enough to protect American consumers.
The FDA loophole she says allows companies to self-approve food chemicals without oversight.
How food dyes could be contributing to rising rates of behavioral issues in kids.
The labeling gaps and industry tactics she says are keeping consumers in the dark.
How everyday people can push back—and why she believes activism still works.
Don’t miss this insightful episode!
View Show Notes From This Episode
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Mindsip insights from this episode:
Avoid Cinnamon Toast Crunch due to carcinogenic caramel color
Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the US uses Caramel Color Level 4, which is made from ammonia and has been determined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to cause cancer in rats.
Rejuvenate mitochondria with Mitopure's Urolithin A
The supplement Mitopure contains Urolithin A, which is designed to rejuvenate mitochondria, the energy centers of your cells.
Hold Kellogg's accountable for broken promise on artificial dyes
After promising to remove artificial dyes by 2018, Kellogg's launched new children's cereals like 'Baby Shark' that still contained them.
Identify hidden trans fats in mono- and diglycerides
The ingredient mono- and diglycerides is used as a replacement for trans fats and contains minute amounts of them without requiring a trans fat label.
Shop smart: Avoid products with unrecognizable ingredients
To avoid harmful additives, don't eat products that list ingredients you wouldn't have in your own kitchen, such as maltodextrin or Red Dye 40.
Engage Kellogg's with your activism for change
When activists delivered 400,000 petitions, Kellogg's executives responded by writing 'Get off our lawn' on a whiteboard.
Remove Red Dye 3 from food for health safety
The FDA banned Red Dye 3 from cosmetics 30 years ago but left it in food due to lobbying from the maraschino cherry and alcohol industries.
Beware of hexane residue in industrial seed oils
Industrial seed oils are often processed using the chemical solvent hexane, and the FDA does not monitor how much of it remains in the final product.
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