The Effects of Dye Color Allergy

An allergic reaction to food dyes could be immediate, or it could take several days to develop. Those who suffer from an allergy or sensitivity could experience negative effects from one dye or multiple dyes. Documented negative reactions to food dyes are rare. The American Family Physician website states that fewer than one of 100 kids and fewer than one of 500 adults will experience a serious negative reaction to a food dye.

Skin Reaction

• Those with dye allergies or sensitivities commonly report skin irritations such as eczema or hives after ingesting a particular dye. When eczema is an allergic reaction, it usually causes inflamed, dry, red and itchy skin. Sometimes, eczema patches even blister and crust over. Those with dye allergies could experience flare-ups simply by touching a product that contains the offending dye. Common places for eczema include the face, head and folds of the elbows, knees or groin.

  Also called urticaria, hives are white or yellow bumps that are surrounded by red, inflamed patches of skin. Sometimes hives are accompanied by a burning sensation that turns into an itching sensation. Those with dye allergies and sensitivities could experience hives as the body is trying to excrete toxins out of the skin.

Anaphylactic Response

• Cochineal extract, a dye that’s extracted from dried bugs, has been used for centuries. This dye also is called carmine dye and is used to color items purple, red, orange and pink. A University of Michigan allergist, James L. Baldwin, confirmed that this dye triggered anaphylactic shock in a patient who ate a purple popsicle. His results appeared in the November 1997 issue of “Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.” Those with a severe dye allergy or sensitivity should speak with their doctors about carrying an epipen for use in the case of anaphylactic shock.

Hyperactivity

• Michael Jacobsen, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says that it’s clear that food dyes affect children’s behavior. Some parents have found that removing offending food dyes from their kid’s diet has helped tame explosive, hyperactive behavior. According to ABC News, a 2007 study showed that there was a slight increase in activity level after consumption of food dyes. Other organizations, though disagree that food dyes affect behavior. The Food and Drug Administration, for instance, claims there's no link. Also, the Academy of Family Physicians claims that hyperactivity isn’t a typical allergy symptom.