Chrissy Teigen's New Popcorn Spices Blasted For These Ingredients
Chrissy Teigen has long been beloved among fans for her candor, whether she's opening up about her relationship with hubby John Legend or sharing insight into her struggles with pandemic parenting. However, the Cravings author is now coming under fire after fans discovered that ingredients in her new popcorn spices line could potentially be toxic.
On March 5, Teigen announced the launch of her Cravings Popcorn Seasoning Spice Kit, which comes with a bottle of white gold popcorn kernels and spice mixes like Extra Spicy Cheddar, Salt & Vinegar, French Onion and Gruyere, Sweet & Salty Coconut, and Birthday Cake Sprinkles. Predictably, many of Teigen's famous friends expressed their excitement over the news, with actor Brooklyn Decker saying her kids are "fully obsessed" with the flavorings and TV host Bobby Berk commenting, "Ordering now!!!"
However, others expressed concern that some of the ingredients in the kit may have the potential to cause serious health issues. Read on to hear why some fans say they're disappointed in Teigen's new product—and for more ingredients to steer clear of, check out these 10 Toxic Ingredients You Didn't Know Were In Your Fast Food.
Some followers are worried about the dyes in the Cravings seasonings.
While many fans are excited about Teigen's popcorn spices, others were upset about the use of certain dyes in the Birthday Cake Sprinkles recipe. "I truly love what you do @chrissyteigen but I'm disappointed in the ingredients listed for those especially the ones for the birthday cake like blue 1, blue 2, red 3, red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6. They are all known to be potential carcinogens," wrote one of Teigen's Instagram followers.
Teigen has yet to publicly respond to the comment. But, here's what we know…
There's evidence to support the potentially carcinogenic nature of the ingredients.
Unfortunately, there's evidence to back up the commenter's claim. According to a 2013 review published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, animal studies have demonstrated the carcinogenic effects of the Red 3 dye in Teigen's Birthday Cake Sprinkles popcorn spice, while the Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 in its formula have "been found to be contaminated with benzidine or other carcinogens," the research shows. In addition, these may potentially cause hypersensitivity reactions, in which a person's immune system can attack otherwise healthy parts of the body after mistaking them for allergens or other toxic or foreign substances.
While the aforementioned dyes are all FDA-approved for use in food, agency spokespeople admit, "There is no such thing as absolute safety of any substance." Instead, the "FDA determines if there is 'a reasonable certainty of no harm' under the color additive's proposed conditions of use."
However, the FDA maintains that they're generally safe for consumption.
Among the biggest concerns related to the consumption of some of these dyes is how they may affect children's behavior—a factor the FDA says it will "continue to examine."
"The totality of scientific evidence indicates that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them," the agency explains. "The FDA will continue to evaluate emerging science to ensure the safety of color additives approved for use."
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