Eva Mendes has demanded the removal of “harmful” food coloring from popular children’s cereals.
The 50-year-old actress. took Instagram last week to warn about artificial colors in Kellogg’s cereals like Froot Loops.
Dyes such as red 40 and yellow 5 have been banned in several European countries for their links to hyperactivity and cancer, but continue to persist in American versions.
The brand promised to remove artificial colors and ingredients from all of its cereals nearly a decade ago by 2018, but it has yet to deliver on that promise.
Mendes called on Kellogg’s to remove these dyes and urged his 6.6 million followers to join a “peaceful march toward Kellogg’s headquarters.”
That protest took place on Tuesday in front of the grain giant’s headquarters in Michigan, where dozens of activists delivered a petition with almost 400,000 signatures.
Actress Eva Mendes took to Instagram last week to call on Kellogg’s to remove “harmful” food colors and additives from its cereals.
Froot Loops in the US contain red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, yellow 6 and BHT, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children, thyroid problems and cancer.
Mendes wrote on Instagram: ‘I grew up eating cereal. I still love it, but I will no longer eat @kelloggsus after finding out that many of the ingredients they use here in the US are BANNED in other countries.
‘Because? Because they are harmful to children.
Mendes compared Froot Loops nutrition labels in the US and Canada.
The American variety contains red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, yellow 6 and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which have been linked to health problems in children.
Canadian Froot Loops replaced these dyes with concentrated juices from cranberries, carrots and watermelon.
In a statement, Kellogg’s said: “Our products, and the ingredients we use to make them, comply with all applicable laws and regulations.”
“We remain committed to transparently labeling our ingredients so consumers can easily choose the foods they buy.”
The company also claims that 85 percent of its cereals do not contain colors from artificial sources.
Mendes shared the above comparison of Froot Loops in the US versus Canada
California has banned six food additives, while states such as New York and Illinois have introduced similar laws.
Red 40, yellows 5 and 6, and blue 1 are dyes used to give bright colors to cereals and other processed foods.
They have been theorized to exacerbate attention problems in children, prompting EU regulators to require product makers to say the dyes could cause “an adverse effect on children’s activity and attention.” .
TO 2021 report A California Environmental Protection Agency study also linked artificial dyes to “hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems” in some children, particularly those with ADHD or other existing behavioral disorders.
Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 also contain benzidene, a permitted human and animal carcinogen at low levels.
According to the FDA, ingestion of free benzidine increases the risk of cancer to just below the threshold of “concern,” or one cancer per million people.
BHT, on the other hand, is an additive used to keep foods fresh. It can also be found in beauty products such as lip glosses and lotions, as well as chewing gum.
Research on BHT is mixed, although some studies have suggested that long-term exposure causes liver and thyroid problems in mice by disrupting hormones.
Several states have taken steps to ban or restrict these additives. Earlier this year, California became the first state to ban schools from serving foods containing red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1, blue 6 and green 3.
In March, New York state officials called for the elimination of red dye number 3, propylparaben, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, titanium dioxide, azodicarbonamide and BHA.