The artificial food dye blues

Allura Red AC is a xenobiotic. Is it also a carcinogen?

Merriam-Webster and Oxford define a xenobiotic as any substance foreign to living systems. Allura Red AC (a.k.a., E129; FD&C Red No. 40), a synthetic food dye extensively used in manufacturing ultra-processed foods and therefore highly prevalent in our food supply, falls under this category. The surge in synthetic food dye consumption during the 70s and 80s was followed by an epidemic of metabolic diseases and the emergence of early-onset colorectal cancer in the 1990s. This temporal association raises significant concerns, particularly given the widespread inclusion of synthetic food dyes in ultra-processed products, notably those marketed toward children. Given its interactions with key contributors to colorectal carcinogenesis such as inflammatory mediators, the microbiome, and DNA damage, there is growing interest in understanding Allura Red AC's potential impact on colon health as a putative carcinogen. This review discusses the history of Allura Red AC, current research on its effects on the colon and rectum, potential mechanisms underlying its impact on colon health, and provides future considerations. Indeed, although no governing agencies classify Allura Red AC as a carcinogen, its interaction with key guardians of carcinogenesis makes it suspect and worthy of further molecular investigation. The goal of this review is to inspire research into the impact of synthetic food dyes on colon health.

The synthetic food dye, Red 40, causes DNA damage, causes colonic inflammation, and impacts the microbiome in mice

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among young people has been on the rise for the past four decades and its underlying causes are only just starting to be uncovered. Recent studies suggest that consuming ultra-processed foods and pro-inflammatory diets may be contributing factors. The increase in the use of synthetic food colors in such foods over the past 40 years, including the common synthetic food dye Allura Red AC (Red 40), coincides with the rise of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC). As these ultra-processed foods are particularly appealing to children, there is a growing concern about the impact of synthetic food dyes on the development of CRC. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of Red 40 on DNA damage, the microbiome, and colonic inflammation. Despite a lack of prior research, high levels of human exposure to pro-inflammatory foods containing Red 40 highlight the urgency of exploring this issue. Our results show that Red 40 damages DNA both in vitro and in vivo and that consumption of Red 40 in the presence of a high-fat diet for 10 months leads to dysbiosis and low-grade colonic inflammation in mice. This evidence supports the hypothesis that Red 40 is a dangerous compound that dysregulates key players involved in the development of EOCRC.

Food Intake and Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for considerable mortalities worldwide. Several modifiable risk factors, including a high intake of certain foods and beverages can cause CRC. This review summarized the latest findings on the intake of various foods, nutrients, ingredients, and beverages on CRC development, with the objective of classifying them as a risk or protective factor. High-risk food items include red meat, processed meat, eggs, high alcohol consumption, sugar-sweetened beverages, and chocolate candy. Food items that are protective include milk, cheese and other dairy products, fruits, vegetables (particularly cruciferous), whole grains, legumes (particularly soy beans), fish, tea (particularly green tea), coffee (particularly among Asians), chocolate, and moderate alcohol consumption (particularly wine). High-risk nutrients/ingredients include dietary fat from animal sources and industrial trans-fatty acids (semisolid/solid hydrogenated oils), synthetic food coloring, monosodium glutamate, titanium dioxide, and high-fructose corn sirup. Nutrients/ingredients that are protective include dietary fiber (particularly from cereals), fatty acids (medium-chain and odd-chain saturated fatty acids and highly unsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids), calcium, polyphenols, curcumin, selenium, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, D, E, and B (particularly B6, B9, and B2). A combination of micronutrients and multi-vitamins also appears to be beneficial in reducing recurrent adenoma incidence.

Optimization of Extraction Method of Anthocyanins from Red Cabbage

Among the vegetables that stand out for their high concentration of anthocyanins, red cabbage appears as one of the most-used sources of these pigments in food production and it is considered a suitable raw material for the extraction of natural dye. Therefore, the objective was to carry out the production of natural extracts from red cabbage, under different conditions, varying the solvent, type of pre-treatment, pH range, and processing temperature during the concentration of the extracts. The anthocyanins were extracted from red cabbage using the following solvents: distilled water, 25% ethyl alcohol, and 70% ethyl alcohol. The raw material was divided into two groups, the first was subjected to a drying pre-treatment at 70 °C for 1 h and for the second group, the extraction was performed with the raw material in natura. Two pH ranges of 4.0 and 6.0 and extraction temperatures of 25 °C and 75 °C were used in the extracts, resulting in 24 formulations. The extracts obtained were analyzed for colorimetric parameters and anthocyanins. The results of anthocyanins show that the methodology that uses 25% alcohol, pH 4.0, and processing temperature of 25 °C produces a reddish extract and better results in the extraction, presenting average values of 191.37 mg/100 g of anthocyanins, being 74% higher compared to the highest values obtained in the other extracts where the same raw material was used and the solvents differed.

Mannitol-Based Media and Static pH Are Efficient Conditions for Red Pigment Production from Monascus purpureus ATCC 36928 in Submerged Culture

Fungi of the Monascus species are used in Asia for the production of fermented foods, mainly due to the ability of these fungi to produce secondary metabolites such as pigments. Due to the growing discussion about the use of synthetic dyes and the fact that their ingestion is associated with harm to human health, studies have sought to replace these dyes using natural pigments, and new alternatives for the production of these natural pigments have been presented. In this context, Monascus pigments are a viable alternative for application in the food industry. This study aimed to evaluate different main carbon sources and pH conditions in the red pigment production of Monascus sp. We found that mannitol, when used as the only carbon source, stimulated the production of extracellular red pigment, reaching a concentration of 8.36 AU in 48 h, while glucose and sucrose reached concentrations of 1.08 and 1.34 AU, respectively. Cultivation in a bioreactor using mannitol showed great potential for optimizing pigment production and obtaining a high concentration of extracellular pigment in a short time, reaching a concentration of 25 AU in 60 h of cultivation. The change in pH altered the production of extracellular red pigment in a culture medium containing mannitol as a carbon source, demonstrating less potential than the use of static pH during cultivation in a bioreactor. Mannitol proved to be an efficient carbon source for M. pupureus under static pH conditions for both flask and benchtop bioreactor cultivation.

Determination of metanil yellow dye in turmeric powder using a unique fluorescence Europium doped carbon dots

Turmeric, a spice known for its therapeutic benefits, is a major source of curcumin which is a polyphenol with anti-inflammatory properties. It aids in treating arthritis, anxiety, metabolic syndrome, liver disease, hyperlipidemia, and inflammatory diseases. In this study, a novel fluorescence probe was designed to detect the adulteration of curcumin by metanil yellow (a harmful artificial dye). The probe was synthesized from the carbonization and conversion of the Tannic acid-Eu³⁺ complex to bright fluorescence Eu-carbon dots in the presence of orthophosphoric acid. The size, morphological, and optical features of the formed Eu-carbon dots were characterized by UV, SEM, TEM, and FTIR techniques. Furthermore, the formed Eu-carbon dots possess unique fluorescence excitation and emission features at 307.5 nm and 340.6 nm, respectively. These fluorescence features can be successfully quenched upon the addition of metanil yellow dye. The value of quenching in the fluorescence intensity of the Eu-C-dots was directly proportional to the dye's concentration. The LOD value for the proposed method was 0.390 µg/mL with a linear range of 1.0-15.0 µg/mL. Furthermore, the methodology exhibited good recovery values for determining the studied dye without any interference from the presence of curcumin.

Red Tomato Products as an Alternative to Reduce Synthetic Dyes in the Food Industry: A Review

Most dyes used in the food industry are synthetic and can be a health hazard. Red tomato may serve as a natural alternative dye to replace synthetic colorants. This study aimed to review the literature on the addition of red tomato products (powder tomato, paste, freeze-dried, tomato peel powder, tomato pomace) to reduce the usage of synthetic dyes in the food industry. Red tomato products have been used as coloring in pasta, bologna, sausages, cookies, crackers, macaroons, hamburgers, breads, muffins, cheeses, and nuggets. The trans-cis isomerization of lycopene by oxidative processes directly affects the color of the pigment. The lycopene contained in tomato has antioxidant activity and could reduce or eliminate other oxidants and/or synthetic preservatives in food. Moreover, tomatoes in foods have high sensory scores, nutritional appeal, and marketing potential. However, its use as a food colorant has been not extensively explored. Therefore, further studies are still required, especially on the stability of carotenoids in tomatoes used in processed foods.

OVAT Analysis and Response Surface Methodology Based on Nutrient Sources for Optimization of Pigment Production in the Marine-Derived Fungus Talaromyces albobiverticillius 30548 Submerged Fermentation

Pigment production from filamentous fungi is gaining interest due to the diversity of fungal species, the variety of compounds synthesized, and the possibility of controlled massive productions. The Talaromyces species produce a large panel of metabolites, including Monascus-like azaphilone pigments, with potential use as natural colorants in industrial applications. Optimizing pigment production from fungal strains grown on different carbon and nitrogen sources, using statistical methods, is widespread nowadays. The present work is the first in an attempt to optimize pigments production in a culture of the marine-derived T. albobiverticillius 30548, under the influence of several nutrients sources. Nutrient combinations were screened through the one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) analysis. Sucrose combined with yeast extract provided a maximum yield of orange pigments (OPY) and red pigments (RPY) (respectively, 1.39 g/L quinizarin equivalent and 2.44 g/L Red Yeast pigment equivalent), as well as higher dry biomass (DBW) (6.60 g/L). Significant medium components (yeast extract, K₂HPO₄ and MgSO₄·7H₂O) were also identified from one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) analysis for pigment and biomass production. A five-level central composite design (CCD) and a response surface methodology (RSM) were applied to evaluate the optimal concentrations and interactive effects between selected nutrients. The experimental results were well fitted with the chosen statistical model. The predicted maximum response for OPY (1.43 g/L), RPY (2.59 g/L), and DBW (15.98 g/L) were obtained at 3 g/L yeast extract, 1 g/L K₂HPO₄, and 0.2 g/L MgSO₄·7H₂O. Such optimization is of great significance for the selection of key nutrients and their concentrations in order to increase the pigment production at a pilot or industrial scale.

Extraction of Carotenoids from Pumpkin Peel and Pulp: Comparison between Innovative Green Extraction Technologies (Ultrasonic and Microwave-Assisted Extractions Using Corn Oil)

Natural pigments improve aesthetic value as well as antioxidant potential of a food product. This study was designed to determine the effects of green extraction techniques on carotenoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activities of pulp and peel of two varieties of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima). Innovative green extractions (IGE; Ultrasound and Microwave-Assisted Extractions) synergised with corn oil (used as green solvent) were compared with conventional extraction (CE; hexane/isopropyl alcohol; 60:40, v/v). Results showed total carotenoids to be almost double on employing IGE (PM2-UAE-peel = 38.03 ± 4.21; PM4-UAE-peel = 33.78 ± 1.76 µg/g) when compared to conventional extraction (PM2-CE-peel = 19.21 ± 4.39; PM4-CE-peel = 16.21 ± 2.52 µg/g). Polyphenolic contents ranged between 510.69 ± 5.50 and 588.68 ± 7.26 mg GAE/100 g of extract in IGE, compared with conventional extracts (269.50 ± 2.17 to 318.46 ± 6.60 mg GAE/100 g) and percent inhibition of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) ranging between 88.32 ± 1.51 and 93.53 ± 0.30% in IGE when compared with conventional extraction (50.61 ± 1.44 to 57.79 ± 2.09%). Further, oxidative stability of carotenoids extracts from IGE (protection factor = 1.59 ± 0.01 to 1.81 ± 0.05) were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) than conventional extracts. Based on results, this study supports the use of innovative green extraction techniques to obtain bioactive pigments like carotenoids. It is anticipated that results generated will find potential applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Technological Applications of Natural Colorants in Food Systems: A Review

Natural colorants have emerged as an alternative to their synthetic counterparts due to an existing health concern of these later. Moreover, natural-food colorants are a renewable option providing health benefits and interesting technological and sensory attributes to the food systems containing them. Several sources of natural colorants have been explored aiming to deliver the required wide color range demanded by consumers. This review aimed to compare and discuss the technological applications of the main natural-food colorants into food system in the last six years, giving additional information about their extraction process. Although natural colorants are promising choices to replace synthetic ones, optimization of processing conditions, research on new sources, and new formulations to ensure stability are required to equate their properties to their synthetic counterparts.

A Roadmap to Modulated Anthocyanin Compositions in Carrots

Anthocyanins extracted from black carrots have received increased interest as natural colorants in recent years. The reason is mainly their high content of acylated anthocyanins that stabilizes the color and thereby increases the shelf-life of products colored with black carrot anthocyanins. Still, the main type of anthocyanins synthesized in all black carrot cultivars is cyanidin limiting their use as colorants due to the narrow color variation. Additionally, in order to be competitive against synthetic colors, a higher percentage of acylated anthocyanins and an increased anthocyanin content in black carrots are needed. However, along with the increased interest in black carrots there has also been an interest in identifying the structural and regulatory genes associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis in black carrots. Thus, huge progress in the identification of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis has recently been achieved. Given this information it is now possible to attempt to modulate anthocyanin compositions in black carrots through genetic modifications. In this review we look into genetic modification opportunities for generating taproots of black carrots with extended color palettes, with a higher percentage of acylated anthocyanins or a higher total content of anthocyanins.

Green Synthesis of Full-Color Fluorescent Carbon Nanoparticles from Eucalyptus Twigs for Sensing the Synthetic Food Colorant and Bioimaging

Full-color fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) are produced by a facile and green hydrothermal method followed by the differential washing technique. Eucalyptus twigs are used as a precursor to synthesize multiemissive light blue, blue, green, and red CNPs. Brilliant Blue FCF (BB) is a widely used synthetic food colorant, which is toxic for the human body, when consumed beyond the permitted limit. Herein, we demonstrate light blue CNPs as a sensor for selective and sensitive detection of BB via a fluorescence quenching mechanism with a limit of detection of 200 nM. Temperature-dependent fluorescence and 1H NMR studies confirmed the mechanism as combined dynamic and static quenching. To demonstrate the practical efficacy of the sensor, BB is effectively detected and estimated in selected food samples procured from the market. Moreover, the biocompatibility of light blue and blue CNPs is examined and confirmed by performing a cytotoxicity assay on MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Subsequently, the cellular imaging study is also carried out to explore the internalization process of the CNPs as a function of concentration. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Eucalyptus twigs, a natural source of high abundance, are used as raw materials and valorized for sensing artificial food color and bioimaging purposes.

Pigment production by cold-adapted bacteria and fungi: colorful tale of cryosphere with wide range applications

Pigments are an essential part of everyday life on Earth with rapidly growing industrial and biomedical applications. Synthetic pigments account for a major portion of these pigments that in turn have deleterious effects on public health and environment. Such drawbacks of synthetic pigments have shifted the trend to use natural pigments that are considered as the best alternative to synthetic pigments due to their significant properties. Natural pigments from microorganisms are of great interest due to their broader applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and textile industry with increasing demand among the consumers opting for natural pigments. To fulfill the market demand of natural pigments new sources should be explored. Cold-adapted bacteria and fungi in the cryosphere produce a variety of pigments as a protective strategy against ecological stresses such as low temperature, oxidative stresses, and ultraviolet radiation making them a potential source for natural pigment production. This review highlights the protective strategies and pigment production by cold-adapted bacteria and fungi, their industrial and biomedical applications, condition optimization for maximum pigment extraction as well as the challenges facing in the exploitation of cryospheric microorganisms for pigment extraction that hopefully will provide valuable information, direction, and progress in forthcoming studies.

Early-onset colorectal cancer: initial clues and current views

Over the past several decades, the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC; in patients <50 years old) has increased at an alarming rate. Although robust and scientifically rigorous epidemiological studies have sifted out environmental elements linked to EOCRC, our knowledge of the causes and mechanisms of this disease is far from complete. Here, we highlight potential risk factors and putative mechanisms that drive EOCRC and suggest likely areas for fruitful research. In addition, we identify inconsistencies in the evidence implicating a strong effect of increased adiposity and suggest that certain behaviours (such as diet and stress) might place nonobese and otherwise healthy people at risk of this disease. Key risk factors are reviewed, including the global westernization of diets (usually involving a high intake of red and processed meats, high-fructose corn syrup and unhealthy cooking methods), stress, antibiotics, synthetic food dyes, monosodium glutamate, titanium dioxide, and physical inactivity and/or sedentary behaviour. The gut microbiota is probably at the crossroads of these risk factors and EOCRC. The time course of the disease and the fact that relevant exposures probably occur in childhood raise important methodological issues that are also discussed.

Microbial Pigments in the Food Industry-Challenges and the Way Forward

Developing new colors for the food industry is challenging, as colorants need to be compatible with a food flavors, safety, and nutritional value, and which ultimately have a minimal impact on the price of the product. In addition, food colorants should preferably be natural rather than synthetic compounds. Micro-organisms already produce industrially useful natural colorants such as carotenoids and anthocyanins. Microbial food colorants can be produced at scale at relatively low costs. This review highlights the significance of color in the food industry, why there is a need to shift to natural food colors compared to synthetic ones and how using microbial pigments as food colorants, instead of colors from other natural sources, is a preferable option. We also summarize the microbial derived food colorants currently used and discuss their classification based on their chemical structure. Finally, we discuss the challenges faced by the use and development of food grade microbial pigments and how to deal with these challenges, using advanced techniques including metabolic engineering and nanotechnology.

Cis-Trans Configuration of Coumaric Acid Acylation Affects the Spectral and Colorimetric Properties of Anthocyanins

The color expression of anthocyanins can be affected by a variety of environmental factors and structural characteristics. Anthocyanin acylation (type and number of acids) is known to be key, but the influence of acyl isomers (with unique stereochemistries) remains to be explored. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cis-trans configuration of the acylating group on the spectral and colorimetric properties of anthocyanins. Petunidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside (Pt-3-rut-5-glu) and Delphinidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside (Dp-3-rut-5-glu) and their cis and trans coumaroylated derivatives were isolated from black goji and eggplant, diluted in pH 1-9 buffers, and analyzed spectrophotometrically (380-700 nm) and colorimetrically (CIELAB) during 72 h of storage (25 °C, dark). The stereochemistry of the acylating group strongly impacted the spectra, color, and stability of the Dp and Pt anthocyanins. Cis acylated pigments exhibited the greatest λmax in all pH, as much as 66 nm greater than their trans counterparts, showing bluer hues. Cis acylation seemed to reduce hydration across pH, increasing color intensity, while trans acylation generally improved color retention over time. Dp-3-cis-p-cou-rut-5-glu exhibited blue hues even in pH 5 (C*ab = 10, hab = 256°) where anthocyanins are typically colorless. Cis or trans double bond configurations of the acylating group affected anthocyanin spectral and stability properties.

Assessment of the color modulation and stability of naturally copigmented anthocyanin-grape colorants with different levels of purification

Grape skins or their by-products from wine production are rich sources of anthocyanins and various colorless phenolics, depending on the grape variety. Phenolics have strong antioxidant and anthocyanin stabilizing properties and help to produce functional anthocyanin colorants with improved stability. This study aimed to assess differences in color expression and stability of anthocyanin colorants from red grape varieties naturally copigmented and with different levels of purity and to compare them to synthetic FD&C Red No. 3. Model juice systems were prepared at pH 3.5 with anthocyanins and phenolic copigments extracted from four Vitis vinifera grape varieties ('Tempranillo', 'Syrah', 'C. Sauvignon', and 'Graciano') both crude and purified by C18 solid phase extraction. Attention was focused on differential colorimetry and phenolic composition related to the color. Degradation kinetics of total color were also studied during storage of 17 days in darkness at 25 °C. Grape variety significantly influenced pigment yield, proportion of acylation, and proportion of copigments:pigments ratios in crude extracts; purification modulated the copigment:pigment ratios. This proportion was related to perceptible color variability among colorants and to different stabilities. With the same pigment content, grape varieties richer in skin copigments and higher copigment/pigment ratios ('Syrah' and 'Tempranillo') produced more intensely colored crude extracts whose tonalities ranged from reddish ('Graciano') to red-bluish ('Syrah'), depending on the proportion of acylation. Increasing the purity of the pigments diminished the color variability due to variety, making them less vivid and visually more similar to one another and also to the synthetic colorant. Degradation kinetic studies showed that unpurified grape colorants had higher color stability over time, with the greatest stabilizing effects achieved with varieties richer in skin flavonols ('Tempranillo' and 'Syrah').

Natural Colorants: Food Colorants from Natural Sources

The color of food is often associated with the flavor, safety, and nutritional value of the product. Synthetic food colorants have been used because of their high stability and low cost. However, consumer perception and demand have driven the replacement of synthetic colorants with naturally derived alternatives. Natural pigment applications can be limited by lower stability, weaker tinctorial strength, interactions with food ingredients, and inability to match desired hues. Therefore, no single naturally derived colorant can serve as a universal alternative for a specified synthetic colorant in all applications. This review summarizes major environmental and biological sources for natural colorants as well as nature-identical counterparts. Chemical characteristics of prevalent pigments, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, betalains, and chlorophylls, are described. The possible applications and hues (warm, cool, and achromatic) of currently used natural pigments, such as anthocyanins as red and blue colorants, and possible future alternatives, such as purple violacein and red pyranoanthocyanins, are also discussed.

Spectral and colorimetric characteristics of metal chelates of acylated cyanidin derivatives

Colorants derived from nature are increasingly popular due to consumer demand. Anthocyanins are a class of naturally occurring pigments that produce red-purple-blue hues in nature, especially when interacting with metal ions and co-pigments. The role of various acylations of cyanidin (Cy) derivatives on color expression and stability of Al³⁺ and Fe³⁺ chelates in pH 6-7 were evaluated by spectrophotometry (380-700nm) and colorimetry (CIE-L^∗a^∗b^∗) during dark, ambient storage (48h). Increased substitution generally increased λ_max of Cy chelates: malonic acid monoacylation<triglycosylated Cy<Cy monoacylated with hydroxycinnamic acids<diacylated Cy. Patterns were similar regarding bathochromic shifts. Acyl moieties of diacylated Cy with smaller substitution patterns resulted in greater λ_max, and no pattern emerged for monoacylated cyanidin. Pigment stability was improved with increasing proportions of metal ions and acylation. Stability followed that diacylated cyanidin (p-coumaric-sinapic>ferulic-sinapic>sinapic-sinapic)>monoacylated (malonic≈sinapic>ferulic>p-coumaric).

Evaluating the role of metal ions in the bathochromic and hyperchromic responses of cyanidin derivatives in acidic and alkaline pH

In many food products, colorants derived from natural sources are increasingly popular due to consumer demand. Anthocyanins are one class of versatile and abundant naturally occurring chromophores that produce different hues in nature, especially with metal ions and other copigments assisting. The effects of chelation of metal ions (Mg(2+), Al(3+), Cr(3+), Fe(3+), and Ga(3+)) in factorial excesses to anthocyanin concentration (0-500×) on the spectral characteristics (380-700nm) of cyanidin and acylated cyanidin derivatives were evaluated to better understand the color evolution of anthocyanin-metal chelates in pH 3-8. In all pH, anthocyanins exhibited bathochromic and hyperchromic shifts. Largest bathochromic shifts most often occurred in pH 6; while largest hyperchromic shifts occurred in pH 5. Divalent Mg(2+) showed no observable effect on anthocyanin color while trivalent metal ions caused bathochromic shifts and hue changes. Generally, bathochromic shifts on anthocyanins were greatest with more electron rich metal ions (Fe(3+)≈Ga(3+)>Al(3+)>Cr(3+)).

Communicating food risks in an era of growing public distrust: three case studies

The communication and regulation of risk has changed significantly over the past 30 years in Europe and to a noticeable but lesser extent in the United States. In Europe, this is partly due to a series of regulatory mishaps, ranging from mad cow disease in the United Kingdom to contamination of the blood supply in France. In the United States, general public confidence in the American government has been gradually declining for more than three decades, driven by a mix of cultural and political conflicts like negative political advertising, a corrosive news media, and cuts in regulatory budgets. While the former approach is based on an objective assessment of the risk, the latter is driven more by the perception of the risk, consumer sentiment, political will, and sectoral advocacy. In this article, the author examines three U.S.-based food case studies (acrylamide, bisphenol A, and artificial food colorings) where regulations at the local and state levels are increasingly being based on perceived risk advocacy rather than on the most effective response to the risk, be it to food safety or public health, as defined by regulatory interpretation of existing data. In the final section, the author puts forward a series of recommendations for how U.S.-based regulators can best handle those situations where the perceived risk is markedly different from the fact-based risk, such as strengthening the communication departments of food regulatory agencies, training officials in risk communication, and working more proactively with neutral third-party experts.