Mars candy and food dyes, why are they holding the line?

[LuvOrlando]

Not getting why Mars is doubling down on keeping current food dyes with concerning information in their products instead of going back to older recipes of safer ingredients?

Health issues on the uptick so why not just do your part and go back to safer ingredients?

Also, the argument they are using is idiotic because the other things they name for traction are for adults 18 and up, not categoty marketed specifically to children for holidays such as Halloween in particular.

Odd hill to fight on all the way around, if you get it help it make sense.

 

[gottalovepluto]

$$$$$$$

Since our government won’t force them as others have done, they don’t have to spend the money to change. So, they have chosen not to.

 

[_19disnA]

Probably belong in that new controversial area if you want my view of this topic.

 

[citruscurtis]

Floss

Not getting why Mars is doubling down on keeping current food dyes with concerning information in their products instead of going back to older recipes of safer ingredients?

Health issues on the uptick so why not just do your part and go back to safer i

....... black coffee and small sugar instead of waiting in line for 3,000 calories of coffee chain sugar and sugar drinks

Americans don't care... for decades now process food and fast food has been on the non healthy radar.. but the lines get longer and longer ...alas consumers are not doubling down..so why should corporate

 

[MICKIMINI]

...because they can.

 

[lanejudy]

Since candy isn't exactly health food, I'm not sure a "healthier" food dye makes a big difference.

 

[LuvOrlando]

But children eat it and they have no concept of healthy or not and many parents for whom English is a second language would be at a greater disadvantage at understanding.

If I was dropped in another country I would assume everything on shelves was safe. Whenever I wander into an asian market because it is fun I just blindly assume everything is fine and I just grab the prettiest packages and give it a try. I have absolutely no idea what it is I am having but I ALWAYS assume it is safe unless there is a warning. I have seen foods where there are lead warnings on some spices, should these foods come with warning labels instead?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Its due to a fundamental divide in regulations.

Europe follows The Precautionary Principle. If there is any evidence that any ingredient might be harmful it is banned or restricted until proven safe.

USA follows The Risk Based Approach. Chemicals are allowed unless there is definitive proof that they are dangerous.

 

[lanejudy]

But children eat it and they have no concept of healthy or not and many parents for whom English is a second language would be at a greater disadvantage at understanding.

If I was dropped in another country I would assume everything on shelves was safe.

Sorry, parental responsibility doesn't rely on language only, and ESL folks are not stupid -- I give them much more credit than you do. Candy is candy. Believe me, the child knows they are eating candy regardless of how it's spelled/pronounced in their home language. I can tell candy in a foreign country just as easily as I can tell candy in the US.

 

[HeatherC]

I have a friend who works for Mars in Italy. They don’t put the same crap in the stuff over there. It is so wrong when they are already doing it overseas.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Since candy isn't exactly health food, I'm not sure a "healthier" food dye makes a big difference.

Actually it does. While I agree candy and junk food is bad no matter the country, there is a big difference between the chemical laden American food and the natural additives in European food.

For example, we can all agree that McDonalds is not a healthy food option, McDonalds fries and burgers in Europe do not have the same chemicals. I worked for Hard Rock Cafe in Europe. Our burgers in Germany and Scotland were 100% local beef and came from the same factory as McDonalds burgers. The only difference between McDonalds burgers in Munich and Hard Rock Cafe Munich, was the size.

 

[lanejudy]

Actually it does.

Not if you don't eat it. People in the US really need to be taught how to eat healthy, not simply presented with "healthier" junk food. "Healthier candy" isn't going to help them become healthy people.

I don't really care what the candy companies do -- US or internationally. This simply isn't an issue I'd fight.

 

[citruscurtis]

Oregon blue berries are now in your markets for healthy eating... but I am the only one eating them in my social circle.

Because culturely... they would rather have a doughnut

 

[Disneylover99]

If I was dropped in another country I would assume everything on shelves was safe.

I’m the opposite. I’d be cautious. Food safety regulations are not very strict or not always regularly enforced in some countries.

Whenever I wander into an asian market because it is fun I just blindly assume everything is fine and I just grab the prettiest packages and give it a try. I have absolutely no idea what it is I am having but I ALWAYS assume it is safe unless there is a warning.

You might want to rethink that, especially since you’re concerned about the safety of food dyes. Not all packages imported from other countries are guaranteed to be safe.

 

[guy_incognito]

It cracks me up that this board can act like "healthy foods" is important, yet every time I visit the parks, it's not apparent that health is important to anyone. We have issues where people can't fit on rides, and scooters outnumber strollers in some areas. There's a popular channel dedicated to visiting parks if you are in the 400-pound+ range. These people talk about not fitting on rides, while also videoing themselves eating 10,000 calories in one sitting.

Point being, it's not just the "food" that is the problem. Nobody forces you to eat a gallon of M&Ms. If you eat a pack every now and then, nobody gets hurt. We have a culture that treats morbid obesity differently than other countries. There's a lot to fix.

See ya in controversial topics.

 

[Imzadi]

Sorry, parental responsibility doesn't rely on language only, and ESL folks are not stupid -- I give them much more credit than you do. Candy is candy. Believe me, the child knows they are eating candy regardless of how it's spelled/pronounced in their home language. I can tell candy in a foreign country just as easily as I can tell candy in the US.

It seems to need mentioning that FIRST, it IS the parents' responsibility to watch, be aware of, and regulate what their children eat. Children, unless they are celebrities with their own bank account, don't have the money to buy these items on their own.

I've been at many, many food venues where I witness children have been taught to ask if there are peanuts, nuts, gluten, etc, in a food before getting it. Just because they SEE a food is available doesn't mean they automatically get a food. They've been taught there are certain foods they can eat and not eat.

 

[citruscurtis]

But it's not controversial... but a observation about why industry is not paying attention

1972 Oregon was the first state to introduce the bottle bill...a 50 year process to introduce a behavior pattern that addresses recycling and partnership with ecology...
Guess how many states have beverage companies in the coat pockets of state legislatures... I was shocked ... granted it is not a easy process... but it's 2025...and still citizens cannot be bothered to facilitate what should be the gold standard of responsibility

 

[Imzadi]

If I was dropped in another country I would assume everything on shelves was safe. Whenever I wander into an asian market because it is fun I just blindly assume everything is fine and I just grab the prettiest packages and give it a try. I have absolutely no idea what it is I am having but I ALWAYS assume it is safe unless there is a warning. I have seen foods where there are lead warnings on some spices, should these foods come with warning labels instead?

I’m the opposite. I’d be cautious. Food safety regulations are not very strict or not always regularly enforced in some countries.


You might want to rethink that, especially since you’re concerned about the safety of food dyes. Not all packages imported from other countries are guaranteed to be safe.

I have to watch my sodium. I check each and every pre-packaged food I get. There are packages from other countries with say, 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce in it and I know, no way is the sodium a low 35 mgs when most BBQ sauces, like KC Masterpiece, average 120 mgs -to 300 mgs per 2 tablespoons. (And this food item is not a health food item where they even remotely tried to make a low sodium product.) The person inputting the amounts for the (U.S. required) food label probably just took a guess, made up that number and input it. If I still want to eat it, I factor in that the label is probably off and add the extra sodium it probably really is into my intake.

 

[_19disnA]

Where I live you cannot put glass into the recycling container. I would assume it is either a safety issue with the risk of injury for recycling plant workers handling broken glass or they can't find enough places to sell their output. Recycling sounds like a "can't miss" way to save the planet, but those facilities have fixed costs (building, equipment, cost of utilities, etc.), need to hire workers and have a way to transport items to the recycling center for processing. They need to find enough customers to sell their output at a profit or the business won't last very long, no matter how good it might be for the environment.