Yellow Food Dye in Cheetos Can Make Skin Transparent, Researchers Find

What if we tell you that the food coloring used in your favorite snack could make your skin see-through? No joke! Researchers have uncovered that the famous yellow food dye in Cheetos, called Tartrazine (or FD&C Yellow No. 5), can turn the skin of mice completely transparent. The popular Cheetos food coloring made the skin of mice completely visible!

Imagine seeing blood vessels and muscle pulses through the skin. It is like an X-ray without the rays! Scientists at Stanford University applied this popular dye on the heads and stomachs of mice, producing fascinating and slightly eerie results.

Now, they are exploring if this process could have applications in human medicine.