In the 1989 tear-jerker “Steel Magnolias,” bride-to-be Shelby (Julia Roberts) permits her adoring fiance to order his own groom's cake. It's shaped like an armadillo and has gray icing.

“Worse, the cake part is red velvet cake. Blood red,” Shelby tells her friends. “People are going to be hacking into this poor animal that looks like it's bleeding to death.”

Red velvet cake like Shelby’s armadillo wouldn't exist without artificial food coloring — and Americans love how food dye enhances presentation. One study found that consumption of food dye has increased fivefold since 1955.

But scientists don't give artificial colorings good reviews. Studies link artificial coloring to cancers, asthma, and allergies, as well as ADHD in children.

While many artificial food dyes — including Reds 3 and 40, Yellows 5 and 6, Blues 1 and 2, and Green 3 — are banned in Europe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits their use here. They're found in processed foods and in many unexpected places.

Oranges sometimes are dipped into artificial colors, and salad dressings and pickles can also contain artificial dyes. So read labels.

The good news is that when you’re cooking at home, you can add color to your favorite treats naturally.

On “The Dr. Oz Show,” Jocelyn Delk Adams, host of a popular food blog, showed viewers what kinds of dyes can come from healthy fruits and vegetables. For example, pomegranate juice provides a vivid red color.

Or boil, reduce, blend, and strain two cups of fresh spinach leaves to fancy create green dye.