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

ABSTRACT: 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 dama

SUBMITTER: Hofseth LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11464682 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature