Jessie Lord Bakery’s sweet treat RECALL exposes the sour truth about artificial food dyes

09/12/2025 / By Olivia Cook

The recall of more than 130,000 Jessie Lord Bakery lemon meringue pies sold at Walmart stores highlighted how a single synthetic dye, Yellow #5, can slip into foods and pose serious risks to sensitive consumers.
Artificial food dyes are petroleum-based chemicals that add bright colors but no nutritional value and their use has skyrocketed in the U.S. over the past 50 years, especially in products marketed to children.
While U.S. regulators allow six main dyes – including Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, research has linked them to allergic reactions, hyperactivity and possible exposure to carcinogenic contaminants.
Other countries, including members of the European Union, require warning labels or have banned certain dyes altogether, creating a sharp contrast with the more lenient U.S. regulatory approach.
Consumers can protect themselves and their families by reading labels carefully, choosing natural alternatives to color your baked goods, such as beets, blueberries, matcha, paprika, raspberries, saffron, strawberries, etc., limiting processed foods and supporting efforts for stronger transparency in food labeling.

Picture this – you’re standing in a Walmart bakery aisle, eyeing a golden lemon meringue pie, the kind that promotes comfort and nostalgia in every bite. You take it home, serve it at dinner and only later discovered it was part of an urgent recall – because it contained a synthetic dye (artificial food coloring) linked to allergic reactions.

That’s not hypothetical. Earlier this month, Jessie Lord Bakery LLC recalled more than 136,000 meringue pies sold in Walmart stores across 14 states (Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin). The pies contained Yellow #5 (tartrazine), a common artificial food coloring that can trigger asthma, hives and other unpleasant reactions in sensitive people.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Class II recall – serious enough to warn that the dye could cause medically reversible health problems. No illnesses were reported, but the message was clear: Food dyes, while they may seem harmless, can have very real consequences.

This pie recall wasn’t just a food safety story. It cracked open a bigger question: What exactly are artificial food dyes and why are they still in so many foods we eat every day?

The hidden rainbow in your food

According to Brighteon.AI‘s Enoch, artificial food dyes are synthetic chemicals used to enhance the color of processed foods, and recent studies have linked them to hyperactivity in children, highlighting the need for individual sensitivity testing.

The bright red in your gummy bears, the fluorescent orange on cheesy snacks, the neon blue in popsicles? They are petroleum-derived chemicals. They don’t change taste, texture or nutrition – just appearance. That’s science. (Related: Study: Artificial food dyes linked to BEHAVIORAL ISSUES in kids.)

Consumption of these dyes in the U.S. has exploded by more than 500 percent over the last 50 years – with children being the biggest consumers. From cereals to sports drinks to vitamins, kids take in the lion’s share of these chemicals every single day.

The safety of artificial food dyes has been debated for decades. Here’s what research shows:

Allergic reactions: Dyes, such as Yellow 5 , Yellow 6 and Red 40, have been linked to asthma, hives and other allergy-like reactions. People with aspirin sensitivity are at higher risk.
Behavior and hyperactivity: Since the 1970s, parents and scientists have linked artificial food dyes with hyperactivity in children. A 2004 review of 15 clinical studies, published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, confirmed a small but measurable effect, especially among kids with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Cancer concerns: Some dyes have been tied to tumors in animal studies, while others are known to contain trace levels of contaminants like benzidine, a carcinogen. Regulators say the levels are “too low to matter,” but critics argue safety testing is outdated and doesn’t reflect today’s higher consumption levels.
Animal studies: Experiments have shown possible effects on activity, learning and memory. While lab animals aren’t people, the findings raise valid concerns.

Despite this, the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) maintain that approved dyes are “safe within limits.” Yet many health experts argue that those limits don’t reflect reality especially for children who consume multiple dye-laden foods daily.

Here’s a closer look at the six synthetic dyes still approved for use in U.S. foods:

Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue): Common in candies, drinks and frostings, some lab tests suggest it can affect nerve cells.
Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine): Found in cereals and snacks, animal studies suggest a possible connection to brain tumors, though evidence is still limited.
Red 3 (Erythrosine): Once banned from cosmetics after being linked to thyroid tumors in lab rats, but still legal in foods like candies and maraschino cherries.
Red 40 (Allura Red): The most widely used artificial food dye in U.S. foods and drinks, associated with allergy-like reaction, hyperactivity in children and possible contamination with carcinogens , such as benzidine. Banned in pasts of Europe.
Yellow 5 (Tartrazine): The dye behind the Jessie Lord Bakery recall, tied to asthma, hives and hypersensitivity reactions, especially in aspirin-sensitive people. Also flagged for carcinogenic contaminants.
Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow): Found in baked goods, sauces and snacks, linked to allergic reactions and sometimes contaminated with cancer-causing substances.

Together, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 account for about 90 percent of all artificial food dye use in the United States.

Global companies often reformulate their products for Europe – replacing Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 with plant-based colorings – while continuing to use the synthetic versions in U.S. foods. For instance:

Fanta Orange Soda in the U.K. gets its color from carrot and pumpkin extracts. In the U.S., it relies on Red 40 and Yellow 6.
McDonald’s Strawberry Sundaes in Britain are colored with strawberries. In the U.S., it’s Red 40.

What’s striking is how different the rules are across borders. While the U.S. still allows these dyes, the U.K. and other European countries either ban them or require warning labels stating they may cause hyperactivity in children.

What you can do

The good news? Safer, “natural” alternatives exist:

Blues and purples – blueberries, red cabbage, purple sweet potatoes
Greens – matcha, spinach, spirulina
Pinks and reds – beets, raspberries, strawberries
Yellows and oranges – carrots, paprika, saffron, turmeric

These plant-based options may not “glow as brightly” as their synthetic counterparts, but they don’t come with the same baggage. And major brands already also use them in Europe, proving that large-scale change is possible.

You can also:

Read labels. Become a detective in the grocery aisle, know what FD&C numbers mean. If you see names like FD&C Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5 or just “artificial color added,” that’s your clue.
Choose whole foods. Fresh or freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains are naturally dye-free.
Pick natural colors. Opt for products that use plant-based coloring or try making your own at home.
Educate your family. Teach kids to enjoy the cake without eating the neon frosting flowers.
Advocate and support legislation for bans or clearer labeling. California and other states are already exploring tougher rules.

The Jessie Lord Bakery recall is a reminder that food should bring comfort, joy and nourishment, not hidden hazards. By making conscious choices and pushing for transparency, you can shift the food system toward safer, healthier practices.

Watch this video to learn why you should never consume artificial food dyes and how to avoid them.

This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com.

Jessie Lord Bakery’s sweet treat RECALL exposes the sour truth about artificial food dyes

The hidden rainbow in your food

What you can do

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