Former FDA food expert reveals America’s worst grains linked to cancer

Is this the most wanted cereal killer?

A former FDA employee has revealed what he claims are the most harmful breakfast cereals on the US market.

Dr. Darin Detwiler, who previously served as a food safety expert for the agency, told the Daily Mail that Kellogg’s Froot Loops are the worst of the bunch, noting that the rainbow rings are “highly processed and contain high levels of of additives, sugars, artificial colors and preservatives, which are linked to health concerns.”

Given the laundry list of bad-for-you ingredients in cereal, Detwiler says excess sugar is less hated.

A one-cup serving of Froot Loops contains 12.35 grams of sugar, nearly half of the recommended daily allowance for children. However, as Detwiler explains, this serving size is unrealistic since most children eat more than the recommended single cup.

The bright red color found in Froot Loops comes from Red 40, a controversial supplement linked to a number of health problems.

A 2022 study produced “alarming” results about the effects of Red 40 – sometimes called Allura red – on the human digestive tract.

Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, claimed that the synthetic dye could potentially cause irritable bowel and Crohn’s diseases after observing biomarkers of damage in the intestinal cells of mice.

The good doctor’s revelation comes after more than 1,000 cereal lovers and health activists marched on Kellogg’s Michigan headquarters on Tuesday, demanding an end to “harmful additives” injected into American product lines like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks. .

More than 400,000 signatures were submitted to the breakfast giant’s offices in Battle Creek, demanding it remove artificial colors and preservatives blamed for health defects and behavioral problems in some children.

“It is now 2024 and Kellogg’s still sells some cereals with artificial colors and flavors in America that are all aimed at young children,” the petition said. “Even worse, Kellogg’s continues to launch new children’s cereals packed with artificial ingredients, such as Minecraft Frosted Flakes and Disney’s Little Mermaid Cereal.”

Actress Eva Mendes added her voice to the chorus, taking to Instagram to share, “I grew up on cereal. I still like it but won’t be eating @kelloggsus anymore after I found out that so many of the ingredients they use here in the US are BANNED in other countries. Why? Because they are harmful to children.”

In March of this year, Kellogg investor Jason Karp, founder and CEO of health food company HumanCo, blasted Kellogg, claiming that “in pursuit of short-term profits, Kellogg is bottling its most popular cereal products in USA … harmful artificial colors, such as Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1, as well as BHT preservatives.

Karp claimed that Kellogg’s is aware of the dangers of these additives. He cited research from the Center for Science in the Public Interest linking colors to organ damage, cancer, behavioral problems and hyperactivity.

Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick made headlines in February when he suggested eating cereal for dinner was a solution to rising food costs.

The Food and Drug Administration says the color additives are safe for consumption when used according to its regulations and that no causal link has been established between the chemicals and behavioral effects in children.

“The totality of the scientific evidence shows that most children do not experience adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that some children may be sensitive to them,” the FDA says.

In 2015, Kellogg’s pledged to remove artificial colors and ingredients from its products by the end of 2018.

Red 40 and Yellow 5 – both used to make Froot Loops in the US but not abroad – are completely banned in the UK.

Japan also bans the use of Red 40, and Canada bans the use of the preservative BHT. While the American version of Froot Loops is filled with petroleum-based food coloring, the cereal’s Canadian counterpart contains more natural colors, such as concentrated carrot, watermelon, and cranberry juices.

“The quality and safety of our food is our top priority. Our products – and the ingredients we use to make them – comply with all relevant laws and regulations in force, and we remain committed to transparent labeling of our ingredients so that consumers can easily make food choices who buy,” WK Kellogg Company wrote in an email to the Post.

“Today, more than 85 percent of our cereal sales do not contain colors from artificial sources. In fact, we continuously innovate new cereals that do not contain colors from artificial sources in our largest brands, providing a wide choice of nutritious foods for our consumers,” continued Kellogg. “This approach is consistent with our commitment to meet evolving consumer preferences.”

It seems that these preferences are moving towards pure ingredients.

Earlier this year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law the California School Food Safety Act, the first state of its kind to ban six dyes found in meals, drinks and snacks served in school cafeterias.