So I know a few kids who can't have red dye because it makes them hyperactive (not sure if it is a "true" allergy, but still an issue).

Does anyone know which brands/colours have the problem dye in their colours? I imagine some pinks, purples and oranges might, as well as the reds... But some might be OK if they use a pigment of just that colour, not "red + something else" (eg for orange you could use a pigment that is straight up orange, not a mixture of red and yellow, if that makes sense...).

Hope someone out there has some info...

I seem to be allergic to wilton paste colors and the candy melts with coloring chemicals . With that said my throat will swell which is a serious reaction.Throat swelling is not the only sympton hives, acne , feeling flushed ,irritability to name a few. my personaL belief is not that sugar mAkes kids hyper but that artificial ingredients in cakes ,frostings ,candy works on their nervous system . I also have problems with some box mixes. BTW. I would never give a kid red velvet cake or that rainbow cake made with regular food coloring EVER. Chemical sensitives are alot more common than you think. Only most people dont realize they have them.Its not an easy thing to detect unless your throat swells and its too late . also dont think the reaction will happen immediately it can be hours or up to days later. Id hate to send a rainbow cake to a childs birthday party and have a kid have anayphalactic shock .
And while Im on my soapbox You should never give your child anything with artiicial sweetener including diet soda . especially if they are ADD or suffer any form of autism .
l
OK Stepping down off my soapbox back to orginal posters question.
If you google natural food colors it will tell you how to make your own . No I havent tried it . But I was looking at the americacolors and India Tree brands.They are supposed to be natural.
natural but I havent tried them either. Im interested to
know if anyone with allergies has used them ?

well this is just a comment, i know someone that cant have red period, even if its natural, so be really careful when trying the natural colors!!

I found out the first time I had red velvet cake I was allergic when I broke out in hives. But I can eat beets just fine. Can you use beet juice for color? Never tried that, but it might work.

sorry I didnt mean for my post to sound like a lecture to OP . I was just trying to be informative to everyone.
My point if they are sensitive to RED dye then they will most likely be sensitive to other colors also if they get enough.Anyone can have a reaction to a chemical if there is enough exposure .Just some of us are more sensitive than others.

Good point Sally. I dont know if the natural food colors bother me or not since I.havent tried them.I m just a hobbiest and use wilton for practicing making flowers .

The issue with red dye is different to allergies that will give you hives etc, it is a specific chemical that causes hyperactivity in some kids. I do know of a kid who can't have red dye OR strawberries, but I have no idea if it is related, or random - a strawberry allergy (not uncommon) plus the bad reaction to red dye.

Anyway, I still would love to know which brands and/or colours are OK for people who can't have red dye...

Obviously you could make orange (for example) using a pigment or chemical that is orange in colour, or you could make orange by mixing red and yellow pigments, so this would determine if the orange colouring would be safe. And this of course applies to purples, pinks, yellows (the egg yolk yellow could be made by adding a little red to the regular yellow), or even duller greens and blues... I frequently add a touch of red to my greens to make them less bright, as I usually start with leaf green.

So, anyone out there have any info?!

I actually emailed americolor to ask which products have red #3 in them. They emailed me back with an excel chart with all of their products, which I will attach, if I can figure out. I'm also going to put it in a new post with a new title so other people can maybe find the info more easily if they need to.