October is All About Increasing Breast Cancer Awareness in Lebanon!

October is all about increasing awareness for breast cancer.

October 5
Therefore, AUB and the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation are organizing a Human Pink Ribbon at AUB's Green Field today - 5th of October at 4.30 pm sharp. This event is free of charge and aims to promote early detection, prevention and better treatment as well as to encourage more breast cancer research to increase cure rates! All you have to do is show up wearing pink and form a huge pink human ribbon! Check the event here.

October 7 till 12
One Wig Stand, a brilliant breast cancer awareness and support NGO that aims to decrease the disease's stigma, build a social support network for women with breast cancer and increase awareness on prevention and treatment, in collaboration with the smart Juice for Charity, a community project that aims to support different NGOs and charities one at a time by selling fresh orange juice, is organizing a whole week of drinking freshly squeezed orange juice at USJ to increase awareness for breast cancer!

• The event on facebook - Check it, have some juice and support this much needed NGO in Lebanon
• One Wig Stand's twitter, facebook page and blog 
• Juice for Charity's twitter, facebook page

October 25
AUB is also organizing another breast cancer awareness event on the 25th of October.
In collaboration with the International Breast Cancer and Nutrition (IBCN) from Purdue University, the Nutrition and Food Sciences Department at AUB is organizing a public lectures day in which dietitians and physicians will be gathered with women from the Lebanese population, students, dietitians, mothers, sisters, cancer patients, cancers survivors and their family members to discuss how nutrition can play a role in both prevention and treatment of breast cancer. The event is free of charge and all lectures will be given in the Arabic language with no scientific jargon! Lebanon was going to host the IBCN's International symposium on breast cancer on October 11 and 13th, but due to the lovely unstable political situation in the region, the symposium was relocated to France!

Nevertheless, check the event below and share it with all women who are interested to know how they can use nutrition and food, a potential risk factor for breast cancer if misused, in order to prevent and treat breast cancer!

If you are aware of more breast cancer awareness events in Lebanon this October, let me know and I'll update this post to have them all in one place!

** All photos have been extracted from the each NGO/event's social media pages.

If you're gonna run, run for a cause!

This marathon will be my 4th and throughout the 3 previous ones, I have ran on an individual title, meaning not part of any NGO. I have no idea why, it always seemed easier to register for and pick up the bibs, no attachements especially that I'm not in direct contact with any NGO.  However, given that there's only one week to go to register for the Beirut marathon, all what came to mind is don't run individually! I know many might have registered already, but for those who are waiting for the last minute, like me, make it count.

The whole point behind the marathon is to 'Run for Lebanon' and what better way than to run with an NGO that you believe is worthy of your run, moral support and financial contribution (I asked, NGOs get some kind of percentage from the fee, which is exactly the same if you're running individually so come on, why run alone?)

Therefore, here's a list of all the NGOs taking part in this marathon, such as the Lebanese Autism Society,  Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation, Lebanese Food bank, Myschoolpulse, One Wig Stand, Kunhadi, Brave Heart Fund, Embrace, Caritas, Teach a child and the list goes on! So check the link, learn about the NGOs and what they do and take your pick! If you're gonna run, run for a cause!
 

Genetically Modified Foods - Free Lebanon

Genetically modified foods are a hot topic now. They are found in many food products sold in the Lebanese market and have become quite controversial. What are GMOs? Are they healthy or do they increase the risk of diseases? In which foods are they found and what can we do about it... Many questions cross our minds when GMOs are involved!

This is why Christele from Health 'n' Horizons, Nour from Nourish Body and Mind and I have joined forces in creating a new movement, GMO Free Lebanon. The purpose behing this movement is to increase awareness about what GMOs are, where you can find them and how they pose risk to your health. This movement also aims to push for labeling of GMO-containing foods, as many countries give their people the right not take part in this humongous human experiment. In Lebanon, we want this right too!


So what are Genetically Modified Organisms?

Humans have been ‘modifying’ foods for more than 2000 years, merely by selective breeding in which plants with naturally higher resistance to fungus and harsh environmental conditions were preferred to yield more crops. However, in 1946, scientists discovered that DNA can be transferred between different organisms and consequently genetically modified foods came to life, hence the acronym GMO which stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. Other terms you might encounter are genetically engineered (GE) and genetically modified (GM) foods.

Photo credit

Genetic engineering allows scientists to cross species in laboratories in order to enhance certain traits not originally found in crops. So crops can have DNA traits from bacteria, viruses  and other plants or animals. For instance, a bacterial gene (from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt) is added to corn crops to make them resistant to certain insects. The insect dies within a few days after biting through the corn. Other crops are modified to carry their own their herbicide making them resistant to the spraying of the deadly chemicals which will kill every other weed or plant. These biotech crops are more commonly known as Roundup Ready as they are resistant to the herbicide Roundup. Both herbicide and GM crop are unsurprisingly produced by the same company, Monsanto. (You gotta become familiar with those names!) (2)

In 1994, the first genetically modified plants approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for marketing the in the USA was Flavr Savr, tomatoes with delayed ripening. However, in 1997 all Flavr Savr production was ceased yet the possibility of producing genetically modified foods literally genetically modified our current kitchens.

Are GMOs currently OK for consumption?

The USA and Europe (EU) have opposing positions regarding GMOs. While the US considers GMOs to be safe, the European Union recommends having organic and non-genetically modified foods instead as the health and environmental risks of GMOs outweigh the benefits. This is why the EU forces stricter regulations on growing GMO crops and requires their labeling on all genetically modified products (3).

Most news about GMOs and their effect on health are kept on low profile (fishy much?); however, few studies have increased our alarm buds and forced us to place a huge question mark over any genetically modified food.

Few GMO side effects in animal studies (so far)

The results of a study conducted in 2012
on genetically modified corn-fed rats showed increased
organ damage and tumor risk (6)

. Increased risk of infertility (4) 

· Increased risk of stomach lining inflammation (4) and reduced digestive ability (5)

. Increased tumor risk (6)

· Increased liver, kidney pathologies (6,8) and toxicity and endocrine dysfunction (7,8)

· Increased death rates (6) as well as premature death (5)

. Increased allergen content in foods (5)

What foods have been genetically modified so far?

Around 70% of processed foods found in US markets have been genetically modified (1). There is currently no data in Lebanon regarding GMO distribution in the market. However, given that many well-known brands in the Lebanese market are imported from USA, Canada, Australia, India, Mexico, China… and given the fact that Lebanon does not force labeling of GMOs, we are unknowingly consuming GMO-containing products.

Plants

· Soybeans (oils, lecithin, baby formulas, baby food… )

· Corn (and corn products: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), corn starch, corn flour, glucose, fructose found in sweets, soda, snacks, cakes, ketchup…)

· Canola/rapeseed oil

· Cotton and cottonseeds (oils)

· Sugar beets (could be labeled as ‘natural sugar’)

· Moreover, given that genetically modified crops (wheat, soy, corn) are fed to animals, especially cattle, these in return pass GMOs to milk, dairy, labne, cheese, and meats

· Papaya

· Zucchini/ squash

Animals

· No GM animals have been approved for use, however, salmon was near FDA approval in December 2012  

So why GMO Free Lebanon?

We started GMO Free Lebanon as we found a lack of awareness among the Lebanese about what GMOs are, their health risks and their wide availability in the Lebanese market. 

>> Our goals are:

- To increase awareness and education about genetically modified foods

- To push for labeling of all products in the Lebanese market. We have the right to know what is in our food and we have the right to say NO to taking part in mass experimental trials. Without labeling, how can one trace the source of allergy, intolerance, sensitivity, illness or disease? And “where is the scientific evidence showing that GM plants/food are toxicologically safe?” (10)

- Demand banning of GMO foods when they are proven unsafe. GMOs are insufficiently evaluated. Longer and more detailed tests need to be done to protect human and animal health as well as our planet (11).

So what can you do to protect your health and help out our cause?

- Like and share our Facebook page which will be a common platform for sharing evidence-based research and practical tips and tricks to help you make informed choices (even if you do not live in Lebanon, approving labeling/banning in one country will help raise global awareness towards the health risks and environmental side effects of growing and consuming GMOs).

-Know where GMOs are found and try to avoid them:

·       Read labels carefully to detect ‘possible’ genetically modified ingredients

·       Buy products that are certified as 100% organic or labeled as non-GMO

·       Choose 100% Grass-fed beef (as corn fed ones are having GMO corn for a diet!)

·       Try as much as possible to avoid processed foods and cook at home, from scratch 

·       Grow your own garden if you have the space.   

Last but not least, stay posted to the GMO Free Lebanon facebook page as we will push for labeling and we will expose genetically modified foods in Lebanon!

References and related articles

(1) Dsc.discovery.com

(2) Webmd.com

(3) Gmo-journal.com

(4) Organic-systems.org

(5) Actionbioscience.org

(6) Sciencedirect.com

(7) Ijbs.com

(8) Tandfonline.com

(9) Dailymail.co.uk

(10) Tandfonline.com

(11) Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(12) Ornl.gov

Seminar on Undernutrition and Obesity in Lebanon

Even though I am still pursuing my masters and still in the 'education business', I believe it is quite crucial to keep on updating ourselves with the newest topics in our domain. This is made easier and guaranteed among registered dietitians abroad (US/UK/Canada) by imposing that each dietitian collects a specific number of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. These credits ensure that all practitioners are improving/updating their knowledge, engaging in conferences and workshops and establishing short and long term goals for professional development -all beyond what is required to enter the profession in the first place, like BS/Hospital Internships. This way all dietitians are obliged to participate in CPE activites to maintain their registration.

But whom are we kidding, as dietitians in Lebanon, we just had a new syndicate (I still have no idea what they offer, I should dig into that) and we have no such thing as CPE credits. So we have to continuously search the country for good Nutrition and Health related conferences and workshops. This is why, the below can be a push for all dietitians in Lebanon to update their knowledge when it comes to undernutrition and obesity in Lebanon!

Under the patronage and presence of H. E. the Minister of Public Health Mr. Ali Hassan Khalil -  

A Seminar on Undernutrition and Obesity in Lebanon

Date: Friday January 20, 2012 From 9.30 am till 2 pm
Venue: Auditorium 2300, Charles Hostler Center, 2nd Floor, AUB

9:30-10:00 Opening Ceremony
Opening statements by:
1. Dr. Nahla Hwalla, Dean, FAFS, AUB
2. Dr. Mouin Hamze, Secretary General, CNRS
3. Dr. Peter Dorman, President, AUB
4. H.E. Mr. Ali Hassan Khalil, Minister of Public Health
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break

10:30-11:40 First Session
Chairperson: Dr. Abdel Hamid Hallab (CNRS)
Discussants: Dr. Salim Jeambar (USJ), Dr. Christa Boulous (USJ)

Presentations by:
- Dr. Lara Nasreddine (AUB): Prevalence and determinants of underweight and obesity in the Lebanese population, and the magnitude of change in obesity prevalence over the past decade
- Dr. Ziad Harb (USEK): Prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in the Lebanese population
- Dr. Khalil Helou (USJ): The association between childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome indicators
11:15-11:40 Discussion

11:40-12:45 Second Session
Chairperson: Dr. Tamima El Jisr (CNRS)
Discussants: Dr. Walid Ammar (MOH), Dr. Fadi Yarak (MOE), Dr. Sameen Siddiqi (WHO/EMRO), Mrs. Sawsan Wazzan (Diet Center)

Presentation by:
- Dr. Nahla Hwalla (AUB): Development of food-based dietary guidelines for Lebanese adults and development/implementation of a school-based intervention program for Lebanese school-aged children and adolescents
12:00-12:45 Discussion

12:45-13:00 Third Session
Chairperson: Dr. Ahmed Dallal (Provost, AUB)
Conclusions and future perspectives to be presented by Dr. Mouin Hamze (CNRS) and Dr. Nahla Hwalla (AUB)
13:00-14:00 Buffet lunch

* This is the first Associated Research Unit (ARU) seminar in collaboration with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), AUB, USEK and USJ

Info sources: Lebanese Dietetic Association, Continuing Professional Education Guidelines 

Celiac Disease 101 in Lebanon!

Celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue, gluten intolerance or gluten sensitive enteropathy, is a permanent inflammatory intestinal disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a form of protein found in wheat, rye, barley and perhaps oats in genetically predisposed people.

Celiac disease was once thought to be a rare disease; however, it is now recognized as a common chronic disorder that affects as many as 1 % of some Western populations especially Europeans. Recent studies show that celiac disease is a common disease in the world, affecting not only Europeans and people of European ancestry, but also populations of the developing countries such as the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and South America, where its prevalence is similar to that of Western countries.

What happens exactly?

Gluten triggers the small intestine’s inflammatory response! The inflammation leads to the destruction and eventually the loss of the absorptive capacity of the intestines leading to mal-absorption especially fat soluble vitamins (D, E, A and K) and iron, folate, B12, magnesium and calcium!

The challenge with gluten intolerance is that it is often misdiagnosed and that its symptoms imitate other health problems, making it harder to detect it at earlier age. The commons symptoms vary from weakness, appetite loss, weight loss, chronic diarrhea, cramps and bloating. Among 6 studies assessing chronic diarrhea in Middle East and North African countries, celiac disease prevalence was 6.5 % to 21 %! In Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, celiac disease was one of the most common causes of chronic diarrhea! While some may experience painful rash, muscle cramps or joint pain. Therefore early diagnosis is very crucial to avoid malnutrition, stunt growth, short stature and anemia, especially among children! In fact, for children, gluten intolerance is very risky. Unless well managed, it can affect child’s behavior, ability to grow and learn, especially that for appropriate development, high energy and nutrient needs require proper nourishment!

Gluten intolerance can occur at any age. Symptoms can appear as early as infancy, but most cases are diagnosed at adulthood, often 10 years after the first symptoms. Temporary lactose intolerance may accompany gluten intolerance, until the inflammation of the intestines resolve – which might take months or years!

Medical Nutrition Therapy

Primarily, treatment for gluten intolerance is a life-long, strict regimen of a gluten free diet.
When gluten is omitted from the diet:
- The inflammation of the intestine resolve and heal
- Nutrient absorption improves
- Symptoms disappear
Yet this inflammation will recur once gluten is reintroduced in the diet. There are no pharmaceutical cures, so don't be fooled. A 100 % gluten-free diet is a must.

What food should be avoided in a gluten-free diet?

Even trace amounts of gluten in the diet can damage the intestines. Now the grains that should be avoided are wheat (قمح) (or the label can say durum, graham, kamut, spelt, emmer, faro), rye (الجاودار), barley (شعير), malt, malt flavoring and malt vinegar, couscous (كسكس), bulgur (برغل), semolina (سميد), farina (دقيق) and oats (شوفان). Speaking of oats, many confirm that oats per se can be ingested but it is often contaminated by other gluten-containing products. According to the Canadian Celiac Association, some can tolerate oats and it could be safe to consume 50-70 grams (up to 1/2 cup dry oats daily) of uncontaminated oats per day by adults and 20 -25 grams per day by children with celiac disease. However, many can’t tolerate it and with our “unsure” industry in Lebanon, oats may be harvested with the same equipment as wheat and thus many be contaminated. So unless oats are specifically certified as gluten-free oats, avoid them.

Avoiding wheat is probably the most challenging here because it is the main ingredients in many foods! Frequently overlooked foods that may contain gluten and need to be verified from the Celiac Disease Foundation:

• Brown rice syrup
• Breading & coating mixes
• Croutons lurking in salads
• Canned foods such as tuna and meats
• Energy and chocolate Bars
• Flour or cereal products
• Imitation bacon and seafood like surimi crab for example
• Luncheon and processed meats
• Marinades
• Pastas and pizzas
• Processed and luncheon meats
• Sauces, gravies
• Self-basting poultry
• Soy sauce or soy sauce solids
• Soup bases
• Stuffing and dressings
• Sweetened milk with malt
• Thickeners (Roux)
• Herbal supplements
• Drugs & over-the-counter medications
• Nutritional, vitamin and mineral supplements

Distilled alcoholic beverages and vinegars do not contain any harmful gluten peptides. Research indicates that the gluten peptide is too large to carry over in the distillation process. This process leaves the resultant liquid gluten-free. Wines and hard liquor/distilled beverages are gluten-free. However, keep in mind that beers, ales, lagers and malt vinegars that are made from gluten-containing grains are not distilled and therefore, are not gluten-free. 

So what can we eat if we’re on a gluten-free diet?

• The good news is that all fresh fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, fish, lamb, pork and dairy products are naturally gluten-free. Just make sure they are fresh and not contaminated with gluten. 
• Gluten free grains that can be consumed when you are cutting your gluten intake are rice and its flour (الأرز), corn (maize) and its flour (ذرة), potatoes (البطاطا), potato starch (نشا البطاطس), uncontaminated (gluten free) oats, soy, beans, millet (دخن), teff, polenta, wild rice(الأرزالبري), quinoa, tapioca (التابيوكا), nut flours and buckwheat (الحنطةالسوداء/روسي قمح). If the label on your food package says amaranth, xantham gum, guar gum or sorghum, you’re free to have these as well. 
• Now don't be misled by products that claim to be wheat-free - they may contain barley or rye! It is important to read on your food that that specific food is “gluten free”. Read your food label wisely, sometimes wheat can be disguised as the word semolina or farina, so know your linguistics well. Labels must be read every time foods are purchased because manufacturers can change ingredients at any time. 
• And stay up to date with gluten free food products! Ok, so I’ll admit is, the country is not quite well equipped for gluten-free products, but this doesn’t mean that we don’t have any. So I decided to look around and here’s what I found.

Stores, Supermarkets and Bakeries

A New Earth store: organic gluten free products, like several types of pasta (quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, black rice, and many others...) Breakfast Cereals for adults and kids (around 10 different ones), crackers, Oat cakes, chocolates, Tamari sauce, ketchup, candies, Bars, Flours, Grains, kuzu, fritters, oat pita bread, oat man2ouche.

TSC, Metro, Charcutier Aoun and Spinneys Supermarkets: gluten free pasta, lasagna sheets, bread mix, all purpose flour, bread sticks, rice cakes, couscous, crackers, maize galettes, muesli, toasts, soup mixes, buckwheat pancakes mix, chocolate cake mix, fruit filled biscuits, whole-fruit cookies, rice cakes, muffin mix, breakfast bars, chocolate and rice breakfast cereals

Keyrouz Bakery: They provide corn breads only; however, with a one day notice, they can prepare gluten free breads, dough, pizzas and burger buns

Al Sultan Bakery: Kaak, thyme or cheese man2ouche, pita bread, doughs, buns, burger buns, pizzas, toasts, plain or dates brioche, cheese, chocolate and thyme croissant, pain au lait, pain au chocolat, vanilla or chocolate cakes, sable vanilla or chocolate and swiss rolls.

** This list is not for advertising purposes whatsoever! It is only to help anyone find gluten-free products in Lebanon. So if you know more places where we can find certified gluten free foods, feel free to add your store!

As for restaurants in Lebanon, most do not guarantee a meal that is 100% gluten free. The risk of cross contamination in the industry, storage, preparation method and when serving is high because kitchens handle wheat as well as gluten-free grains and products in the same kitchen! So when eating away from home, pack your gluten free food with you, read menus carefully and ask all the questions needed and inform the restaurant of your intolerance!

Last but not least, it is always best to educate yourself on the matter! You can definitely consult a dietitian nearby and you can also read books written by professionals! These are couple of useful books: Nutrition and Celiac Disease written by Monique Bassila Zaarour, RD and Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide written by Shelley Case, RD.

* If you are looking for more about gluten-free foods and celiac disease in Lebanon, you will find joy in reading Sans gluten a Beyrouth blog!

Photos

Celiac symptoms, Wheat

Food Colorants in my Cereal Bowl!

Cereals advertised for their
Calcium, Zinc and Iron content

I’ve probably had too many colorants in my system for quite some time when I was kid. My mom used to buy us Trix, and what was she thinking! When talking about snacks and cereals for kids – and possibly adults- one can’t ignore the topic of food dyes!

Colored breakfast cereals are attractive to kids, especially with those cartoon characters on their packages. Other than their high content of sugar and sodium, and putting aside that they are advertised by mentioning their high calcium, iron, zinc, fiber and ‘fruity’ content, my concern here is their dye content!

Testing Food Dyes

Food colorings are tested for safety by different parties and sometimes views on food color safety can get quite controversial.

• In Europe, E numbers are given to European Union-approved natural and synthetic dyes. In fact, in European countries these colorings are considered hazardous until they can be proven safe.
• In the US, FD&C are given to FDA-approved synthetic food dyes that do not exist in nature. In the US, it's totally the opposite >> The colorings are safe until proven otherwise!

So companies that do business in Europe use natural and safe colorings; however, they use harmful and synthetic ones elsewhere! And guess what, yes; Lebanon is considered an "elsewhere" country.

Allowed Common Artificial Food Dyes

In the USA, the following seven artificial colorings are permitted in food as of 2007. You can see E number, FD&C number or the dye’s name. So when you check your label, you can find any of the 3.

• FD&C Blue No. 1 or E133 –Brilliant Blue (blue shade) 
• FD&C Blue No. 2 or E132 – Indigotine (inidigo shade)
• FD&C Green No. 3 or E143 – Fast Green FCF (turquoise shade) 
• FD&C Red No. 40 or E129– Allura Red AC. This dye is approved by the EU in general, but Switzerland already banned it and the UK is on its way!
• FD&C Red No. 3 or E127 – Erythrosine 
• FD&C Yellow No. 5 or E102 – Tartazine
• FD&C Yellow No. 6 or E110 – Sunset Yellow FCF (orange shade so it can also be called Orange E110). Now this is approved in the US; however, EU is considering its ban while Norway already banned it! 
• [Blue no.1, red no.40, yellow no.5 and yellow no. 6 being the most popular]

Disallowed Common Artificial Food Dyes

The following 9 dyes have been disallowed by the FDA because of their adverse effects so keep them in mind, and let’s hope we don’t see them in any of our foods!

• FD&C Red No. 2 – Amaranth 
• FD&C Red No. 4
• FD&C Red No. 32 
• FD&C Orange No. 1 
• FD&C Yellow No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 
• FD&C Violet No. 1

Artificial Dyes Health Concerns

Certain artificial food dyes have been shown to be carcinogenic to animals, affect mood and intensify ADHD while few are associated with fertility. You can pick your favorite. Now these studies are not conclusive yet, but the fact many are showing weak to moderate association between the dyes and the suggested health concern while facing a lot of “food politics” pressure, is enough of a concern to me! 

• The FDA requires that Yellow No. 5 be clearly labeled on food packaging along with other ingredients.  This label is just indicating Yellow 5 is in the food. This is not a warning label so now you’re warned. 
• According to the Mayo Clinic, colorants that may increase hyperactive behavior include: Yellow No. 6, Yellow No. 10, Yellow No. 5 and Red No.40. So even though, these are allowed by the FDA, studies are showing that they might have hazardous effects! 
• According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, food coloring such as Blue No. 1, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 cause allergic reactions. Yellow food No. 5 has triggered asthma episodes in children. Red No. 40 may cause skin conditions such as eczema. Yellow No. 2 has been connected with male sterility and ADHD. Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2 used in beverages and often in pet food have been associated with brain tumors in animal studies and Red No. 3 is linked with thyroid tumors. It’s quite the mess! Actually, according to the Center for Science in Public Interest, artificial dyes are best avoided. They also have a "Food Dyes and Behavior Report Form" to fill out if your child shows any change of behavior when food colorants are ingested.
  

Natural Food Dyes

Some brands have natural food dyes

There's a growing number of natural food dyes commercially produced, especially due to consumer concerns surrounding synthetic dyes. Some examples include:

• E150 - Caramel coloring made from caramelized sugar, used in sodas 
• E160b - Annatto: a reddish-orange dye made from the achiote seeds
• E140 - Chlorophyll: a green dye made from algae 
• E120: Cochineal a red dye derived from the cochineal insect 
• E100 – Turmeric from curcuminoids 
• E160a- Saffron (caratenoids) for a yellow to orange color 
• E160c - Paprika 
• Betanin extracted from beets to give a bluish-red to brown color 

Natural food colors, due to their organic nature, can sometimes cause allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock in sensitive individuals. Coloring agents known to be potential hazards include annatto and cochineal. However, natural colors are not required to be tested nor mentioned on the label in the US!

Colored Cereals in Lebanon

Now, long story short, I found these colorings in 6 different colored cereals in Lebanon:

• Artificial colorings - Yellow E 102 (No. 5), Yellow E 110 (No. 6), Blue E 133 (No. 1), Red E 129 (No. 40)
  >> Although all these have been approved in the US, the Center for Science in Public Interest advises that they are best avoided! They are under the "Unsafe in amounts consumed or is very poorly tested and not worth any risk" category. Red 40 and Yellow 6 are being phased out in some European countries.
• Natural colorings - Turmeric, Paprika, Spinach, Carrots, Blackcurrant
  >> All shown to be safe.

Food dyes are lurking everywhere in our diets!They can be found in granola bars, candies, jelly beans, chocolate, beverages, sodas, cakes, chewing gums, lollipops, syrups, icings, jams, dessert powders, ice cream and puddings. These could be quite obvious due to their flashy colors, but hey, colorants can be found in pale colored cereals, cheeses, chips and dips too! So you gotta become a label reader, especially for foods that you consume regularly. Don’t be fooled with words like ‘natural’ and ‘fruity’. You’ve become familiar with those names and numbers now, so watch out for them and try to limit your intake of processed foods. 

Info Sources

Food Standard Agency, Web.archive.org, Food Trainers, Cspinet.org - Diet, ADHD and Behavior, Cspinet.org - Petition for Food Dyes, List of all color additives- FDA, 

Photo sources

Colored puffed cereal photo