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Message: <blockquote data-quote="carjug" data-source="post: 1565463" data-attributes="member: 74617">Sheri L. Williamson Wrote the Peterson Guide, on page 35 i5 states, "Field tests have shown that hummingbirds prefer plain sugar water over dyed solutions".And, lifted off her website at mindspring:It turns out that the red food dyes used in some feeder solutions may be much more dangerous than we previously suspected. Studies in Japan (Tsuda et. al 2001) found that relatively low doses of Red #40, the world's most popular food coloring, caused pre-cancerous DNA damage in the colons of mice. Crunching some numbers revealed that the concentration of dye that produced these changes was significantly lower than that present in a hummingbird's daily ration of bright red "instant nectar"! Other red dyes (especially Red #3, a.k.a. erythrosine) also showed alarming effects in laboratory tests. For a thorough analysis of the situation, including references to several pertinent studies, see Stacy Jon Peterson's FAQ page, "Should I Add Red Dye to My Hummingbird Food?"Manufacturers of "instant nectar" products have been outrageously reluctant to respond to the concerns of hummingbird enthusiasts. Perky Pet's approaches to the issue have ranged from offering dye-free and "light" versions of their "instant nectar" to defending it with unfounded claims that the unnamed dye (Red #40, according to company representatives) is "USDA approved" and "non-toxic and harmless to hummingbirds." It's actually the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), not the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that approves food additives, and no research has ever been done to determine the safety of any food additive, including Red #40, for hummingbirds or any other wild bird.The more responsible approach would be to replace artificial red dyes with natural colorants, and, after a couple of decades of complaints from hummingbird experts and concerned enthusiasts, Perky Pet took a tentative step in this direction by introducing a liquid concentrate colored with plant and insect extracts. Unfortunately, hopes of a change in philosophy at the company appear to be unfounded. In May of 2005, I had the following e-mail exchange with representatives of Perky Pet:</blockquote>

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