Spring is here, and with it comes one of the most recognizable candy confections to grace the supermarket shelves…Marshmallow Peeps.  Those little pastel colored puffs of artificial flavor fill many Easter baskets and young tummies each year.  But perhaps it’s time to consider what those little bunnies and chicks are actually made of.  As we discussed last week, it’s also important to recognize artificial colors and their suspected effect on children.  The pink Marshmallow Peeps are colored with Red 3, which according to Ruth Winter, M.S. in her book A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives, “in 1996…was found to be a cancer-causing additive and may contribute to breast cancer.”   Apparently, according to the same book, the FDA has considered removing Red 3 as an optional food colorant, but has yet to do so. What are they waiting for? (more…)