To begin with, the first ingredient that is listed is sugar, meaning that this is the number 1 ingredient. There are 19 grams of sugar for one Jell-O pack. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), children ages 2 to 18 should eat or drink less than 25 grams of sugar daily. When children eat foods that are high in added
sugars, it is linked to the risk factors of heart disease, such as obesity and elevated blood pressure. Added sugar is one of the main reasons for childhood obesity. Dr. Robert Lustig, one of the leading experts on childhood obesity, has published an article in the scientific journal Nature, which argues that sugar is considered ‘poison’, “The problem with sugar isn’t just weight gain… A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases”. Added sugar does not contain any essential nutrients and is high in fructose. Before sugar is entered into the bloodstream, it is broken down into two groups, glucose and fructose. Although glucose is found in every living cell, our bodies produce it. Fructose is not produced by our bodies and it can only be metabolized by the liver. The United States is the leading country for obesity due to the fact that there is an ‘attachment’ to sugar and it has only been more evident over time.
Red dye #40 is also inside a packet of Jell-O. This dye is also known as Allura Red and is one of the most common artificial food coloring. Red #40 has been banned throughout other countries such as Europe and Australia due to health concerns, but not in the United States. The FDA has approved to use Red #40 in food products and be listed as an ingredient on the labels. However, manufacturers who use this dye do not have to state how much they use per product. Red #40 is a certified color that comes from petroleum distillates, also known as coal tars. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there has been a link between Red 40 and hyperactivity in kids. Most of the studies have been done on mice and showed that the mice had lower reproductive success, reduced weight of their parents and offspring, decreased brain weight, and a lower chance of survival for the newborn rats. Although there are more safe alternatives for using artificial food dyes, using Red #40 is a cheaper alternative manufacturers use to make their food brighter and more appealing to the consumers.