chemicals

APR news told you last week about a plan to do away a red dye that used in food products. Student intern Samantha Triana introduced us to a Huntsville baker who’s already replaced chemical dyes for coloring made from vegetables. That’s not where the story ends. U.S. food producers also make things we eat using chemical additives. Some of them are not only unused in Europe, they’re against the law.

Mardi Gras means parties and parades along the Alabama Gulf coast. That means it’s also prime time for people who like to catch the colorful beads and doubloons that are thrown from the parade floats. This may sound like all fun and games, but environmentalists say there’s a darker side to this Mardi Gras tradition.

Alabama officials say the state exported a record $21.7 billion in automobiles, chemicals and other goods last year.The Tuscaloosa News reports the…