Why We Could Need 70,000 Bugs and 150 Million Pounds of Beet Juice

Approximately 70,000 bugs that live on prickly pear cactuses in Peru produce 2.2 pounds of a vibrant red dye. Perhaps easier to access, 150 million pounds of beet juice will also naturally add red to our food.

So yes, cereal and snack food makers know that their products’ artificial dyes are bad for their health. But making the switch won’t be easy.

Artificial Dyes

With bright colors signaling stronger flavor, food makers know that when food looks more appealing, it is likely we will eat more of it.

In our featured image, the bowl of Trix on the left has the artificial dye while the one on the right does not. The consumer outcry convinced General Mills to reverse a 2016 switch to natural.

But it’s not only the visuals. Changing recipes to include natural colors will be expensive. To achieve the same hue, producers might need 10 times the amount of carrot juice or beet juice. Also in the factory, natural greens could rapidly degrade while their artificial sisters have much longer shelf life and need less refrigeration. In addition, drinks colored with natural blues and greens could separate in plastic containers when they react to light and heat.

Knowing the downside, producers finally responded. Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, General Mills Smucker, and WK Kellogg promised to lift the dyes from their food and beverages by end of 2027. Meanwhile, Lay’s said the end of this year was its deadline.

Our Bottom Line: Tradeoffs

When food dyes change, so too will manufacturing recipes. Ranging from inventory to refrigeration, capital, labor, and even land would have to adjust.

As economists, we can see it is all about tradeoffs. Some estimates say making a natural dye could cost 10 times as much. And, more than money, the cost (defined as sacrifice) is also the appeal of maybe 1 in 5 products:

My sources and more: Thanks to The NY Times Daily podcast for inspiring today’s post. However, this AP article was much more interesting.  And finally, for the academic side, this paper took a look as did this WSJ YouTube: