2019 Symposium on Synthetic Food Dyes
OEHHA is sponsoring a scientific symposium to discuss the potential neurobehavioral effects in children of synthetic food dyes, to take place September 19 and 20, 2019 at the CalEPA Headquarters Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento CA. At the request of the California Legislature, OEHHA is conducting a risk assessment of the potential impacts of synthetic food dyes, in particular those that are FDA batch-certified. The focus of the assessment is on the potential neurobehavioral and other neurological toxicity in children. This symposium is intended to help us gather and synthesize available scientific information on the potential neurological effects of synthetic food dyes. Presentations at this symposium will discuss the epidemiological, toxicological, clinical, and exposure literature. Please join us for an interesting and stimulating discussion of the data and possible inferences from available studies! Links to videos from the meeting below.
Day 1, Thursday September 19
9:00 Welcome
Lauren Zeise, PhD, Director, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), California Environmental Protection Agency
Session I: Animal Neurotoxicological Studies of Food Dyes
Moderator: Melanie Marty, PhD, Assistant Deputy Director, OEHHA
9:20 A Colorful History: Regulation of Synthetic Color Additives in the USA
Arthur Lipman, PhD, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Food Additive Safety (retired)
9:45 Use of Animal Neurotoxicological Studies to Evaluate Environmental Stressors
Charles Vorhees, PhD, Professor, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology
10:15 Animal Neurotoxicological Studies of Food Dyes
Mari Golub, PhD, Staff Toxicologist, OEHHA (retired annuitant) and University of California, Davis (emerita)
10:55 Break
11:10 Toxicological Studies Used by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to Evaluate Food Dyes
Sean Taylor, PhD, Managing Director, Verto Solutions
11:40 Panel Discussion – Morning Speakers
12:10 Lunch
Session II: Characterizing Children’s Exposure to Food Dyes
Moderator: Lauren Zeise, PhD, OEHHA
1:30 Exposure Assessment for FD&C Color Additives for the U.S. Population
Diana Doell, PhD, Review Chemist, Office of Food Additive Safety, FDA
2:05 Quantitative Laboratory Analysis of Food Dyes
Alyson Mitchell, PhD, Professor, Co-Director of the Food Safety and Measurement Facility, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis
2:35 Children’s Exposure to Food Dyes
Asa Bradman, PhD, Associate Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health
3:10 Break
3:30 Panel Discussion – Afternoon Speakers
4:00 Physician’s Perspective on ADHD: Trends and Treatment
Sanford Newmark, MD, Clinical Professor, Medical Director and Head of Pediatric Integrative Neurodevelopmental Program at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
4:40 Wrap up and adjourn
Day 2, Friday September 20
9:00 Welcome to Day 2
Mark Miller, MD, MPH, Director, Children’s Environmental Health Center, OEHHA
Session III: Epidemiological Studies Examining Neurobehavioral Outcomes and Food Dyes
Moderator: Mark Miller, MD, MPH, OEHHA
9:10 American Academy of Pediatrics Food Additive Statement
Leo Trasande, MD, MPH, Professor, Vice Chair, Department of Pediatrics, New York University; Academy of Pediatrics, Council on Environmental Health
9:45 Food Dyes and Children’s Behavior
James Stevenson, PhD, Emeritus Professor, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, England
10:25 Break
10:40 Meta-analysis: ADHD, Restriction Diet and Food Dyes
Joel Nigg, PhD, Professor, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University; Director, Division of Psychology; Director, Center for ADHD Research
11:25 Panel Discussion – Day 1 & 2 Speakers plus Craig Steinmaus, MD, MPH, Public Health Medical Officer, OEHHA and Associate Adjunct Professor, University of California Berkeley, and Lisa Lefferts, MSPH, Senior Scientist, Center for Science in the Public Interest
12:10 Wrap up and adjourn