The news on Today FM is reporting that the red food dye known as Red 2G has been banned in Ireland - more info here courtesy of The Irish Times.
Also known as E128, this dye is used to impart colour to sausages and burger meat, and is one of the so-called azo dyes which are potentially carcenogenic - though this is disputed by the Food Industry (surprise surprise!).
My Collins Gem Guide to Natural and Artificial Food Additives (Harper Collins 1991, ISBN 0 00 458992 0) says this about Red 2G
A synthetic azo dye and coal tar dye, employed to impart a red colour to jams, meat and meat products, and soft drinks. It will not withstand high temperatures or high acidity. It is not recommended for children with a history of hyperactivity. Red 2G is banned in most European countries, Australia, Japan and North America, although not in the UK.
A much more up-to-date book on the subject on our kitchen bookshelf is The Chemical Maze Shopping Companion by Bill Statham [Summersdale Publishers Ltd 2006, ISBN 1 84024 482 8]. This has the following to say on E128 aka Red 2G: “Synthetic; azo dye; banned in many countries” and states that it is “best avoided“. It lists its potential effects as: “Asthma; gastrointestinal symptoms; hyperactivity; angioedema; chronic hives; aspirin sensitive people may wish to avoid; carcenogenic.”
Personally, I’ve been aware of the danger of azo dye additives in food for decades, but it is difficult to avoid them altogether. As far as I’m concerned, anything that is derived from coal tar or petrolium cannot be good for you. I’m amazed at the amount of chemical shit that Food companies are permitted to put in food and drink products, and even more amazed that most people never check the ingredients of the food and drink products they buy in the supermarkets. They are playing russian roulette with their own health and the health of their children.