The U.S. probably won’t be following Europe's footsteps for food dyes - at least not anytime soon.

 

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 8-6 against putting a warning on foods that contain artificial dyes, which some studies have linked to hyperactivity in children, Reuters reports.

 

However, the panel did call for more study on the dyes, keeping the debate open. The FDA will consider the recommendations in the coming months. The FDA did not ask the panel whether an all-out ban was warranted.

 

FDA staff, in a preliminary report released before the meeting, said current evidence does not show food colors cause hyperactive behaviors among children in the general populations and the panel voted 11-3 that it agreed, Reuters reported. In Europe the dyes were linked to hyperactivity, and now require a warning label.

 

For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/.