Food dyes, ADHD and what to do next

Artificial food colours have been linked to behavioural changes in children across dozens of clinical trials, and in 2025 the US FDA began banning them for the first time. Mon shares her personal story, the science and a practical starting point for reducing your child's exposure without creating anxiety around food. Hit play and find out whether food dyes could be affecting your child.SCIENCE REFERENCESCalifornia Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). (2021). Systematic evidence review on the relationship between synthetic food dyes and neurobehavioral outcomes in children. State of California.Damotharan, K., Sudhakaran, G., & Ramu, M. (2024). Biochemical processes mediating neurotoxicity induced by synthetic food dyes: A review of current evidence. Chemosphere, 364, 143295.Nigg, J.T., & Holton, K. (2014). Restriction and elimination diets in ADHD treatment. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23(4), 937–953.US Food and Drug Administration. (2025). FDA announces phase-out of petroleum-based synthetic dyes in food supply. FDA Press Release, April 2025.Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). (2012). Supplementary colours report: Dietary exposure estimates for added colours in foods available in Australia.