Anticipated response from Health Canada - re: food dye petition

Health Canada has until January 18th to reply to my petition.

With the help of a new internet tool I shall not name, I prepared the kind of expected response I will receive. I am getting this down now so I can compare and contrast the actual response once received.  

For reference, here is my petition: Petition

Here is my predicted response:

The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for raising this important issue regarding the safety of food additives. The health and safety of Canadians, especially children, is our top priority.

Canada has one of the most robust food safety systems in the world. All food additives, including synthetic colours, are subject to a rigorous pre-market assessment by Health Canada scientists to ensure they are safe for consumption at permitted levels.

Health Canada continuously monitors the latest scientific evidence. Based on the current body of evidence from international regulatory bodies like the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the permitted synthetic colours are considered safe for the general population."

We acknowledge that a small subset of individuals may exhibit sensitivity to certain food additives. Health Canada provides information to help these individuals make informed choices, including requiring all ingredients to be listed on food labels.

We encourage the food industry to take voluntary steps to reduce the use of synthetic colours where possible. Health Canada continues to monitor emerging science and will take action if new evidence indicates a health risk. Canadians are encouraged to report any adverse reactions.

While we appreciate the concerns raised, it believes the current regulatory framework, which is based on sound science and risk assessment, is effective in protecting the health of Canadians. The specific calls to action in this petition are not being pursued at this time. Here is why the above response is bullshit: 1. Safe for the average Canadian. They will ignore my core argument about vulnerable sub-populations (children with ADHD, pregnant people). By defining safety for the "average" person, they dismiss disproportionate harm to the sensitive 8%. 2. By Rigorous Pre-Market Assessment, they're refering to decades-old studies, often industry-funded. They will not address the new independent neurodevelopmental research I cited, dismissing it as not yet "consensus." 3. They will emphasize that they're continuously monitoring, which essentially means: We will wait for undeniable, catastrophic proof before acting, rather than applying the precautionary principle you rightly cited.

4. Health Canada loves voluntary compliance by industry and self-regulation (instead of enforceable laws). This is the direct rejection of my Call to Action #1 and #3.

5. Health Canada always points to their improved labeling rules, placing the burden on parents to decode labels. In the real world, parents are not dealing with a diagnosed 'dye sensitivity'—they are dealing with a child suffering from aggression, memory issues, severe emotional dysregulation, and learning difficulties. A parents first (and often only) assumption is that their child has a mental health or neurodevelopmental problem. The journey leads to doctors, therapists, and potential medication, not to scrutinizing ingredient lists. A parent cannot make a choice to avoid an ingredient they do not know is harming their child. There is no bold font, no warning symbol, no mention of potential behavioral effects—unlike labels for allergens, which are clear and mandatory for a reason.

True public health protection requires preventing that initial harm. Placing the burden on parents to decode labels for an invisible neurochemical trigger, while the additive remains prevalent in foods marketed to children, is an abdication of the government's fundamental duty to protect the vulnerable.