With the United States having lax standards on artificial food dyes compared to many other countries, the candy industry can offer vibrant colors for its customers. But when stacked up against products from countries including Korea, U.S. candy may just look a little less appealing.
In a post to r/mildlyinteresting, one Redditor shared a side-by-side comparison of the popular Haribo gummy bears from both the U.S. and Korea.
In the picture, the bag of candy from Korea includes gummy bears that are dull. However, the bag from the U.S. features gummies that are flamboyantly colored.
After scanning the list of ingredients on each bag, the original poster stated "there's no Red 40, Yellow 5, or Blue 1" in the Korean candy. "The ingredients list on the Korean one is much more thorough on extracts and concentrates as opposed to the American's 'Artificial and Natural Flavors.'"
In the last several years, U.S. campaigns to protest the use of artificial food dyes have gained steam, as studies have raised concerns about their effects on children's health.
Though many artificial food dyes are still widely used, progress has been made. In January, the Food and Drug Administration announced that Red 3 was to be phased out. "Manufacturers who use FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs will have until January 15, 2027 or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products," the agency said.
In April, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also suggested that more synthetic food dyes are on the chopping block, as reported by USA Today.
In the comments section, many users were quick to point out the stark difference between the bags of gummies.
"It's the same with a lot of stuff," one noted. "[Froot] Loops my kids eat in Canada look depressing as f*** but when in the US it looks nuclear mutant glowing in comparison."
"The original German ones look just like the Korean ones," someone else wrote. "I think it has to do with illegal coloring in the American version. It's crazy how much substances that are used in US children food are illegal in the EU."
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A third user offered insight into the difference, explaining: "I work for Haribo in the UK, every factory besides the American one use the same/similar acids (colours) ... The American stuff stains your skin for days whereas everywhere else it will wash off straight away."
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