Controlled studies conducted over three decades have shown that children's behavior can be worsened by some artificial dyes, said the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

"The food supply is essentially booby trapped with thousands of foods that can contain these offending chemical additives. The appropriate public health response to this problem is to get the food dyes out of the food supply," said CSPI Executive Director, Michael Jacobson.

The eight food dyes - Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3 and Yellow 6 - together with other additives are particularly prevalent in the cereals, candies, sodas, and snack foods pitched to kids.

CSPI is asking the Food and Drug Administration to require warning labels on foods with artificial colors as it considers the request to ban the dyes.

But the FDA says on its website that "although the hypothesis was popularized in the 1970s, well-controlled studies conducted since then have produced no evidence that food additives cause hyperactivity or learning disabilities in children."

Robert Brackett, chief science officer for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, said the overwhelming majority of scientific evidence confirms the safety of certified food dyes.

"Based on these findings, there is no need for consumers to alter their purchasing and eating habits," Brackett said. "They and their children can safely enjoy food products containing these food colors."