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Tyson Foods Eliminates Toxic Synthetic Dyes Ahead of FDA Ban

The AHA! Team — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 05:10:35 +0000

Cassie B. via Natural News – The decision comes ahead of the FDA’s planned 2026 ban on six artificial dyes, signaling a growing industry shift toward cleaner ingredients. Tyson Foods will eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes from its products by the end of the month in a move praised by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a step to protect children from health risks like ADHD. The FDA plans to ban six artificial dyes by 2026, with Tyson already reformulating most retail products, including chicken nuggets, to remove them. Kennedy applauded Tyson’s move, urging other companies to follow, as part of the Trump administration’s push to phase out harmful food additives. The FDA is cracking down on synthetic dyes linked to childhood health issues, with Commissioner Marty Makary citing rising diabetes, obesity, and ADHD cases. PepsiCo and other companies are also removing artificial colors, signaling industry-wide change driven by consumer demand and regulatory pressure. In a major victory for public health, Tyson Foods announced it will remove petroleum-based synthetic dyes from its products by the end of May in a move that has been praised by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a critical step toward safeguarding children from harmful chemicals linked to ADHD, obesity, and other health risks. The decision comes ahead of the FDA’s planned 2026 ban on six artificial dyes, signaling a growing industry shift toward cleaner ingredients. A proactive response to health concerns During a May 5 earnings call, Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King revealed the company has been “proactively reformulating” its products to eliminate synthetic dyes, with most of its retail-branded items, including chicken nuggets, already free of the additives. None of Tyson’s school nutrition program offerings contain these dyes, aligning with Kennedy’s push for healthier food options for children. Kennedy, who has made food safety a cornerstone of his HHS agenda, applauded Tyson’s decision on social media: “I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will make America Healthy Again.” His remarks underscore the Trump administration’s broader effort to phase out chemicals deemed hazardous by scientific studies. The FDA’s crackdown on harmful additives The FDA has targeted synthetic dyes due to mounting evidence linking them to neurobehavioral issues in children. In April, the agency announced plans to revoke authorization for Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, while urging manufacturers to eliminate six others, including Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5, by 2026. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary emphasized the urgency, stating, “We have a new epidemic of childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and ADHD. Given the growing concerns of doctors and parents about the potential role of petroleum-based food dyes, we should not be taking risks and do everything possible to safeguard the health of our children.” A 2021 California EPA report reinforced these concerns, noting a rise in ADHD diagnoses from 6.1% to 10.2% over two decades, with artificial dyes identified as a contributing factor. While the FDA maintains that current dye levels in food are “safe,” Kennedy and health advocates argue that precautionary action is necessary to protect vulnerable populations. Industry momentum builds Tyson’s announcement follows similar commitments from PepsiCo, which pledged to remove artificial colors from Lay’s and Tostitos by year’s end. The swift industry response suggests companies are eager to avoid regulatory penalties while capitalizing on consumer demand for cleaner labels. Kennedy’s hands-on approach, including a March meeting with food executives, has accelerated the timeline for change. “They said it’s going to take us a while,” he told CBS in April. “And I said they all have to be out within two years.” Tyson’s early compliance positions it as a leader in the sector, though critics note the move may also preempt stricter enforcement. A healthier future for American families Tyson’s decision marks a turning point in the fight against toxic food additives, demonstrating how federal pressure and consumer awareness can drive meaningful reform. As Kennedy’s HHS continues to prioritize transparency and science-based policies, families may soon see a food supply free of the dyes long suspected of harming children’s health. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com FoxNews.com KATV.com To read the original article, click here

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Protect Yourself From “Poison Pushers”

The AHA! Team — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 06:12:58 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Our modern food supply is turning healthy people into diabetics. And people already battling diabetes are now facing cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. While the connection that links these chronic diseases is often ignored by the media and medical journals, the carefully crafted narrative that tricks the public into eating these poison foods is rooted in junk science. Let me explain… The big, multinational companies that produce the majority of our food are puppet masters. And they’re pulling the strings of the research institutions and their “scientific studies” that frame the medical advice you receive from trusted national organizations. The companies who produce these fake foods have billions of dollars at their disposal. They’re using this money to literally take over our food supply. You’ll find evidence simply by looking for corporate sponsors. The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics is sponsored by corporations like PepsiCo, Danone, and the Campbell Company.1 And the American Diabetes Association is backed by pharmaceutical behemoths Merck and AstraZeneca.2 Business Insider reported that only 10 companies control almost every large food and beverage brand in the entire world. This includes names you’ll be familiar with — Kellogg’s, Coca-Cola, Nestle, and General Mills.3 Lobbying to influence our food choices is one thing. But actively manipulating scientific studies is even worse. Often, these large corporations will fund nutritional research — leaving us with biased outcomes and cherry-picked results. Kellogg’s Australia funded one such study. They were looking at whether whole grain cereal could help people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition. Of course, they proudly concluded that whole grains were an “important” part of a diabetic’s diet.4 It wasn’t long before this study came under fire by a number of respected health experts. They accused Kellogg’s of practicing “junk science.”5,6 This assertion that “grains are important for diabetics” is one of the most reckless and dangerous claims I see today. Let’s take a closer look at how a high carbohydrate diet affects your type 2 diabetes. In the past 60 years, our modern diet has become more starch-loaded than at any other time in human history.7 Our Standard American Diet (SAD) is filled with processed foods containing an unnaturally high amount of grains. This is made even worse by cheap and unhealthy seed oils. Refined sugars are added at every opportunity. Even the red meat you buy at the grocery store is from animals that have been grain-fed. And milk, cheese, and butter come from grain-fed cows. A nationwide analysis of U.S. grocery stores revealed that more than 60% of the calories we buy come in the form of highly processed foods.8 Our levels of disease have kept pace with this increase in grain and processed food consumption. If you look back to 1957, you’d find that only about 1% of the U.S. population had high blood sugar.9 It was around this time the American Heart Association famously – and falsely – linked dietary fat to heart disease. The result? Millions of Americans began to remove fat from their diet and replace it with low fat/high-carbohydrate items. Fast forward to the decades between 1980 and 2016. The number of people suffering from high blood sugar rocketed from around 6 million to 111 million people. That’s a 1,750% increase in just 35 years! It gets worse. By the year 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that 40% of the U.S. population — 144 million people — will be diabetic or prediabetic.10 The American Diabetes Association still encourage 25% of a diabetic’s food plate to be filled with grains and starches. And they list whole grains as a superfood on their website.11 The result of all this bad messaging is a widespread pandemic that was raging out of control long before our most recent pandemic hit the news cycle. People are dealing with uncontrollable weight gain, fatigue, high blood sugar, and organ malfunction. This has resulted in a constellation of chronic diseases that threaten every man, woman, and child on our planet. It’s insulin resistance on a global scale. At the Sears Institute, I help my patients beat diabetes and insulin resistance using intermittent fasting. It helps improve glucose regulation… increases stress resistance… and suppresses inflammation. It also helps cells to activate an important process called autophagy. This is where the body cleans house and disposes of old or damaged cells. One study of 16 healthy people found “alternate-day fasting” for 22 days helped them lose 2.5% of their initial weight and 4% of their fat mass. This came with a 57% decrease in insulin levels.12 To see the positive effects of this way of eating, we just need to look to the island inhabitants of Okinawa in Japan. This population traditionally eats on an intermittent fasting schedule and has low rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. They also live extremely long lifespans — many more exceeding 100 years of age. Lower Insulin Resistance with Intermittent Fasting If you’d like to start using intermittent fasting to control your type 2 diabetes, start with a form known as time-restricted eating. It calls for an 8-hour eating window each day, followed by a 16-hour fast. Here’s how it works: Start your day with a 10 a.m. breakfast Lunch at your regular time Finish your dinner by 6 p.m. Your body gets no additional food from 6 p.m. until 10 a.m. the next day When your body gets used to the 16-hour fast, you can move up to the 24-hour mark. You can practice one-day fasts as often as every two weeks. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Meet Our Sponsors,” https://www.eatrightpro.org/about-us/advertising-and-sponsorship/meet-our-sponsors. Accessed on September 30, 2024. American Diabetes Association, “Corporate Support,” https://www.diabetes. org/about-us/corporate-support. Accessed on September 30, 2024. Business Insider, “These 10 companies control everything your buy.” www.businessinsider.com/10 companies-control-food-industry-2017-3. Accessed on September 30, 2024. Deloitte, “Analysis: Healthcare and productivity savings from increased intake of grain fiber.” www2.deloitte.com. Accessed on September 30, 2024. Harcombe, PhD, “Increasing Australia’s grain fiber intake could save the economy $3.3 billion a year.” www.zoeharcombe.com. Accessed on September 30, 2024. Demasi M. “Kellogg’s ‘junk science’ and Australia’s health policy.” www.michaelwest.com.au. Accessed on September 30, 2024. Pew Research Center. “Modern American Diet Has Gotten Bigger, Heavier on Grains and Fat.” Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). “Highly processed foods dominate U. S. grocery purchases.” ScienceDaily. 29 March 2015. https://www.sciencedaily.com. Accessed on September 30, 2024. “Long-term Trends in Diabetes.” April 2017. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global Report on Diabetes. World Health Organization. Fact sheet. American Diabetes Association, “Nutrition.” www.diabetes.org/ nutrition. Accessed on September 30, 2024. Heilbronn LK, et al. “Alternate day fasting in nonobese subjects: effects on body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism.” Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:69-73. To read the original article click here.

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Processed Foods Make Up 60% of the American Diet?! Healthy Swaps to the Rescue!

AHA Publisher — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 07:00:42 +0000

Rachael Link, MS, RD via Dr. Axe – Processed foods are a tricky subject. Bread, for example, is a processed food, even if it’s homemade; you don’t just nibble on grains, you process them into a loaf. Nut butters are processed, too, when they’re churned into a creamy spread. Processed foods have become a pantry staple in households across the globe. Dig a little deeper into nearly any kitchen and you’re sure to find a jar of tomato sauce, some canned vegetables and a few frozen foods lurking in the freezer. But with a slew of recent studies showing that these common ingredients may actually do more harm than good when it comes to your health and may even be linked to a higher risk of death, many people have started to wonder whether it may be time to start making some swaps in their daily diets, whether you’re following a vegan, Paleo or ketogenic diet (or any kind, for that matter). So is bread a processed food? Is rice a processed food? And what are processed meats exactly? Keep reading for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about processed foods, plus how they can affect your heath. What Are Processed Foods? Stats & Facts About Processed Food Consumption Processed foods are a tricky subject. Bread, for example, is a processed food, even if it’s homemade; you don’t just nibble on grains, you process them into a loaf. Nut butters are processed, too, when they’re churned into a creamy spread. In fact, any food that hasn’t been directly pulled out of the ground and eaten is technically processed, including frozen fruits or canned veggies. So what is processed food? The official processed food definition encompasses any food that has undergone some type of change before it’s ready to eat. This can range from processed meats or produce that have simply been frozen to extend longevity all the way to unhealthy processed foods like chips or nuggets that have undergone extensive changes in order to achieve a specific taste, texture and appearance. According to a study in the medical journal BMJ Open, foods like soda, cereal, cookies and frozen dinners are all considered “ultra-processed foods,” or “formulations of several ingredients which, besides salt, sugar, oils and fats, include food substances not used in culinary preparations.” It might not come as a huge shock that Americans eat a lot of these foods, but what might surprise you is the extent to which we’re binging on them. A study published in the journal found that 58 percent of the average American’s daily energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods like cakes, white breads and sodas. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the study also found that 90 percent of Americans’ “added sugar intake” comes from ultra-processed foods. In fact, sugar makes up about 21 percent of the calories in ultra-processed foods; in processed foods, that number dwindles down to about 2.4 percent. The hidden sugars found in these foods, often disguised as different types of artificial sweeteners, are believed to be responsible for a variety of health conditions, ranging from obesity to type 2 diabetes to migraines. Is sugar bad for you? YES. In fact, studies have shown that consuming more than 25 percent of daily calories from added sugar may be associated with a significantly higher risk of death from heart disease compared to consuming less than 10 percent. Therefore, it’s really not much of a stretch to say that added sugars are killing us. Processed Foods vs. Ultra-Processed Foods vs. Unprocessed Foods So what is processed food and how can it affect your health? It’s important to remember that not all processed foods are created equally and there’s certainly a spectrum when it comes to processed food – for instance, chowing down on Twinkies is certainly not the same as adding frozen spinach to your smoothies, even though they’re both technically processed. Ultra-processed foods are that foods that have undergone significant processing and often include a long list of ingredients, many of which you would expect to find in a science lab rather than a kitchen. This generally encompasses most of the “bad processed foods,” including things like frozen meals and convenience foods, sodas, store-bought cakes and cookies, boxed dessert mixes, chips, pretzels, crackers and more. Processed foods, on the other hand, can include pre-packaged ingredients such as pasta sauce, salad dressings and bread. While these foods are likely okay in moderation, it’s still best to make your own at home whenever possible to cut down on the added ingredients and stay in control of what you’re putting on your plate. Minimally processed foods are better a better option and are generally considered the most healthy processed foods you can eat. This can include options like extra virgin olive oil, ground meats, plain yogurt, natural nut butters, canned and frozen vegetables and fruits that have been processed at their peak to optimize freshness and nutrition. Finally, unprocessed foods are unaltered ingredients that are found in their natural state. Fresh fruit, wild-caught fish, veggies, nuts and seeds all make the list of non processed foods and can all be enjoyed as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet. Top 17 Processed Foods to Avoid Wondering which foods you should kick to the curb and eliminate from your diet altogether? Here is a list of the top 17 processed foods to avoid for weight loss, heart health, improved energy levels and more. 1. Processed meats (bacon, salami, cold cuts, etc.) 2. Instant noodles 3. Convenience meals 4. Sugar-sweetened beverages (soda, sweet tea, juice, sports drinks) 5. Microwave popcorn 6. Refined vegetable oils 7. Potato chips 8. Margarine 9. Store-bought cookies, cakes and pastries 10. Artificial sweeteners 11. French fries 12. Granola bars 13. Flavored yogurt 14. Breakfast cereals 15. Refined grains 16. Candy bars 17. Fast food Side Effects of Processed Foods Unhealthy processed foods are often low in nutrients, supplying little more than extra calories, fat, sugar and sodium without providing the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that your body needs to stay healthy. Loading up on these nutrient-poor foods can increase the risk of weight gain and nutritional deficiencies, which may potentially lead to conditions like anemia, osteopenia and other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Because many processed foods are also loaded with added sugar, frequently indulging in these unhealthy “bad food” options can also promote poor eating habits, such as food addiction and overeating. Plus, overdoing it on the processed junk may also increase your risk of serious health problems. For example, a 2018 study examined the medical records and eating habits of 104,980 healthy adults and found that a 10 percent increase in ultra-processed foods in the diet correlated with a 12 percent increase in cancer risk. When analyzing the link between specific types of cancer, the study found a rise of 11 percent in breast cancer and no significant increase in colorectal or prostate cancer. Another recent 2019 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that consuming higher amounts of ultraprocessed foods was linked to a higher risk of death among middle-aged adults in France. According to the study, increasing intake by just 10 percent was associated with a 14 percent higher risk of all-cause mortality. Certain types of processed foods, such as processed meats, have also been associated with chronic disease and adverse effects on health. What is processed meat? Meat products that have been cured, canned or dried like bacon, salami, jerky and corned beef are all considered processed meats, and they’re generally loaded with preservatives and additives, many of which can cause serious side effects. In fact, studies show that increased consumption of processed meats may be linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and several types of cancer, including colorectal and stomach cancer. Here are some of the other possible side effects that processed foods may contribute to: • Low energy levels • Constipation • Bloating • High cholesterol or triglycerides • Acne • Increased blood pressure • Cavities • Depression • Insulin resistance • High blood sugar • Inflammation • Chronic pain How to Tell If a Food Is a Processed Food So how can you differentiate between what are processed foods vs what are healthier options on your next trip to the grocery store? The easiest way to get started is by simply looking at the ingredients label. Unprocessed foods will have just a few ingredients listed, all of which are healthy whole foods, spices and seasonings that you can easily find in the kitchen. Heavily processed foods, on the other hand, are likely to contain an extensive list of ingredients, including food additives, preservatives, synthetic dyes and more. As a general rule of thumb, try to stick to products with less than five ingredients. While this may not always be a foolproof method, it is typically a good indicator that a food may be minimally processed. Additionally, steer clear of refined grains such as white bread, pasta and rice and opt for whole-grain varieties instead. Similarly, avoid processed meats like salami, bacon and cold cuts and go for healthier alternatives like grass-fed beef, free-range poultry or wild-caught fish. Added sugars or artificial sweeteners are also a dead giveaway to help you spot processed foods. Keep in mind that many processed foods also contain added sugars masquerading as health foods, including sweeteners with “natural” names such as cane sugar, brown rice syrup, barley malt, corn syrup and agave nectar. How to Swear Off Processed Foods 1. Make gradual changes While it’s tempting to make drastic changes, you and your family will have a better chance at sticking to healthy habits if you decide on one change at a time and see it through. For example, if you usually serve soda or juice with meals, try replacing one glass with water instead. After a few days, replace another glass. Not only will this help ease you into changes mentally, but it’ll also help reduce any physical symptoms you might experience. 2. Shop with a grocery list It’s a lot easier to make healthy choices and avoid junk food when you have a list of the items you’re looking for. Make a list of the meals you’re preparing for the week and all of the ingredients required. And if you’re thinking of heading to the store without eating, forget about it. Shopping on a full stomach will make it harder to resist those foods you should avoid. 3. Shop the perimeter You’ve probably heard it before, but there’s a reason it’s advised that you shop the edge of the store and skip most of the middle aisles. Fresh produce, meats and dairy products are nearly always around the store perimeter, while ultra-processed foods get stacked on the shelves in the middle of the store. By limiting the aisles you shop, you’ll resist temptation to purchase bad-for-you foods. Similarly, hit the healthier part of the grocery store first. One of the best things about certain Whole Foods is that you enter the store in the vegetable and fruit area, so you start loading up on the best foods in the store well before you may start getting tempted by the naughty processed or ultra-processed foods in the middle. 4. Read the ingredients list If there’s something on the ingredients list of a packaged food that you couldn’t buy to use in your own kitchen – or whose name you can’t even pronounce – it’s probably highly processed and best avoided. Don’t forget that ingredients are listed in the order of how prevalent in a food they are, so it’s especially important to be aware of what’s listed as one of the first five ingredients. Or better yet, avoid foods that have more than five ingredients in them altogether. 5. Look out for added sugars Food manufacturers have gotten cleverer about how sugars are listed by using different terms in the ingredients list. One rule of thumb is that ingredients ending with “ose” are sugars: think sucrose, fructose...

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