My daughter can't consume artificial colour. She essentially malfunctions. Some children have seizures, are misdiagnosed as having tourettes or various other neurological conditions that are traced back to synthetic dye consumption. My daughter kicks and screams and can't control her body for 45 minutes (and then her emotions for 3 days after). 

She is a canary in a coal mine, illustrating what happens when human beings use petroleum waste to create cheap alternatives to natural products. Artificial colour has only been around for about 100 years, and has been implicated in behavioural reactions in children since its inception. 

When my sweet 6 year old daughter eats artificial colour she experiences an extreme psychological breakdown. When we stopped allowing her to eat artificial colour - these breakdowns completely stopped. I'm often made to feel like its in my imagination, that it's bad parenting or too much screen time or the sugar. But I am her mother, and I know her. Please believe me when I tell you, it's the dye. 

I realize it's hard to stomach the fact that the federally regulated system in place allows an ingredient in food that knowingly causes children to experience extreme neurological responses that includes aggression, severe irritability, memory problems and hyperactivity. I'm sorry to tell you, that scientists and the people working within the federally regulated system are aware of these side effects. It's in all the scientific literature. It affects 8% of children (or 1-2 kids per classroom). In Canada, it's the bureau of chemical safety that monitors these studies and these additives. In America, it's the FDA. 

In 2021 the FDA asked a team of scientists to come up with  a test to determine which kids are affected, but it has not yet been created. Since it's not all kids, they don't see the point in messing with a multi-billion dollar synthetic dye industry. 

The government of Canada has promised Canadians that food additives must not pose a hazard to the health of the consumer. Yet, this ingredient is in nearly ALL medicine and dental products.

Is access to safe medicine not a human right for all children? 8% of children are neurologically affected by an ingredient in their toothpaste, and it continues to be allowed by Health Canada? 

The side effects listed in the literature are:
(A collection of the scientific literature: Comprehensive collection of studies)

-cognitive effects
- restlessness, irritability, sleeplessness and aggression
-altered brain chemistry
-changes in neurotransmitter receptors for glutamate and acetylcholine in the hippocamus
-changes in receptor protein levels related to behavioural performance
-patterns of diminished activity and lowered serotonin in the brainstem, hypothalamus, and hippocampus
- diminished memory and learning

Maybe the reason why they don't take the allergy seriously is because the affected don't break out in hives or suffer from anaphylactic shock, the children suffer from an  extreme emotional breakdown that is referred to by the FDA as "adverse neurobehavioural outcomes".

Is our children's mental health not worth more?

My daughter's behaviour became erratic, emotional, hyperactive, and aggressive. Her behaviour is such a huge part of her daily life, her behaviour is essentially her personality. To have an ingredient in her diet affect it so dramatically was literally quite unbelievable. Many still don't believe it as there's a campaign to have this information suppressed and categorized as misinformation, despite the scientific evidence being available to all. 

Further, to have this same ingredient be the standard in children's medicine and dental products is absolutely wrong. 

I wish it was as easy as "buy dye-free". In an emergency, hospitals don't have access to specially made dye-free medicine. When she had strep throat, I had it specially made and it took two days and cost 4x as much. The companies manufacturing these products can use natural colours, but choose not to because of cost. 

If you believe all Canadian children have a right to safe medicine and dental products, please sign.