Talk:Tartrazine
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A page detailing it's creation would be nice, as that information is not readily availible anywhere else.
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[edit] Asthma/Aspirin issues - evidence?
This article contradicts the page http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/colorfac.html which the Wikipedia "Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act" article links to. The FDA web site states that there was no evidence that FD&C number 5 ("Tartazine") provoked asthma attacks or that aspirin-intolerant individuals had a cross sensitivity to it. Is there evidence that supports what this Wikipedia article states?
-=-=-=-=-=- I realize I'm not offering any medical evidence other than to say that I am an asthmatic, though I've never been diagnosed with an aspirin intolerance. I, along with several members of my family who are asthmatics have experienced all of the symptoms listed after ingesting Mountain Dew, or other food products with a high dosage of yellow 5. I have known other people who have reported the same symptoms.
Though yes, I've never had an asthma attack after ingesting yellow 5, I'm simply saying I am an asthmatic and I have experienced the symptoms listed. So it is more than likely a simple alergy. If there was some connection though, I would have to suspect the steroid based rescue inhalers that asthmatics regularly use. Perhaps there is a cross sensitivity involved there.
[edit] Irresponsible statement
This statement seems irresponsible:
"there was a problem, it would be discovered by now."
[edit] Evidence of health risks is available and should be cited
There is a US F&DA docket that discusses this in depth. It is, unfortunately, only available from the FDA as a PDF image, not text, thus neither Google not any other web crawler has indexed it for ready retrieval: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/01/Aug01/081301/cp00001.pdf . It contains numerous citings of disciplined studies showing the detrimental effects E102/Tartrazine/Yellow #5 to sensitive individuals.
The Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided by Science Lab, a manufacturer of Tartrazine, makes for interesting additional reading: http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Tartrazine-9927619
Anecdotal support, but worth mentioning: My wife and I are sensitive and have been given medical direction against Yellow #5. I was advised by my US Army Infantry Battalion Physician to avoid MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) Hot Cocoa mix as it contains Tartrazine, a known migraine trigger. Following his advice and supplying my own store-bought cocoa cut the number of headaches in half. Similarly, my spouse was advised by a highly respected NYC pulmonologist to avoid Yellow #5 after a large glass of orange Tang triggered an asthma atack, landing her in the Intensive Care Unit. We raise egg-producing chickens on quality feed and have found a zero-incidence of migraine after eating their eggs, while there has been an observed correlation in a number of my family members between commercial egg ingestion and migraine.
Then again I worked in a factory that made this stuff in the pure form (typically 80-90% pure dye), bye the metric ton, and over a thousand tonnes a year. The workers on the factory floor would be covered from head to feet in the stuff (it is usually handled as a fine orange powder which gets everywhere, though can be granulated). In the over 30 years that they manufactured the stuff (the business was sold and the factory closed as a result) they never had a single problem with anyone showing adverse effects to the stuff. So while it may cause some very sensitive individuals it is not a general problem. A peanut will kill some people should they be banned or treated as a dodgy food stuff to be avoided?
[edit] Why not ban the stuff forever?
The damn stuff gives you asthma, irritation, behavioral problems (fosters Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), migraine, thyroid cancer, and lupus. It has been established that Tartrazine provokes asthma attacks (though the US FDA do not recognise this) and urticaria (nettle rash) in children (the US FDA estimates 1:10 000); it is also linked to thyroid tumours, chromosomal damage, urticaria (hives), sleep disorders, and hyperactivity. Tartrazine sensitivity is linked to aspirin sensitivity; it has already been banned in civilized countries such as Norway and Austria.
Symptoms of Tartrazine poisoning: Asthma attacks, Conjunctival irritation, Edemas of lips and tongue, Headaches, Periorbital swelling, Rashes, Tingling in mouth. Causes or contributes to almost 90% of hyperactivity cases in children.
IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, CAN ANYONE IN HIS RIGHT MIND JUSTIFY THE INGESTION OF SUCH USELESS, NON-NUTRITIVE, HARMFUL AND POISONOUS STUFF BY UNSUSPECTING, INNOCENT HUMAN BEINGS? --AVM 21:58, 7 November 2006 (UTC)
bumping for vandalism... cant do meself, on a psp... --66.26.40.8 02:49, 9 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] a couple of points`
- just how common is this stuff? certainly most squashes ive seen in the uk explicitly say they dont contain it.
- the wording in this article suggests that beta-carotene is mostly used in organic products yet most orange squashes ive looked at seem to use it.
any comments on theese points? Plugwash 11:25, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Evidence from the medical literature
There is substantial evidence from the medical literature that a certain portion of the population, especially some asthmatics have a sensitivity to tartrazine. It is not a true allergy as it works on a different immunological pathway, but it can cause asthma attacks by heightening the sensitivity of the lungs. My son is an aspirin sensitive asthmatic, who nearly died as a small child after exposure to tartrazine. This has beeb confirmed by an oral challenge test. After I petitioned the FDA for its removal I heard from dozens of other parents who had similiar experiences with their children. If you want more evidence, you can look at my footnotes, or look at pubmed for more articles about the medical literature on the topic. An organization called Feingold also had evidence of behavioural changes in children after consumption of tartrazine. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.80.89.20 (talk) 14:57, 2 February 2007 (UTC).
