Contents
Uses
Blue # 1 is a colorant for foods, personal care products, and cosmetics. The water-insoluble salt of Blue 1 is Blue 1 Lake, which is also used in food and lip stick.
Cautions
The dye is poorly absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and 95% of the ingested dye can be found in the feces.
Blue #1 has previously been banned in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland among others, but has been certified as a safe food additive in the EU and is today legal in most of the countries. It has the capacity for inducing an allergic reaction in individuals with pre-existing moderate asthma.
It is one of the colorants that the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group and the Feingold Association recommends to be eliminated from the diet of children. After extensive testing, the National Institutes of Health concluded that color additives do not cause hyperactivity.
References
Sources:
- Prohormonedb.com, http://prohormonedb.com/view-ingredients.asp?n=Blue+%231+(Food+Coloring)&i=28
- http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/blue-1-and-blue-1-lake