Benign Red Pigmentation of Stool Resulting from Food Coloring in a New Breakfast Cereal (The Franken Berry Stool)

It has long been known that certain drugs and foods can cause alteration in the color of stools. These alterations in color may be of concern to parents and physicians unless recognized. The following case is presented as yet another example of a product which may alter stool color. The breakfast cereal under discussion has only been on the market a few weeks and physicians should be aware of its potential for producing reddish stools.

Case Report

A 12-year-old Negro boy presented to the outpatient department with the chief complaint of passing red stools for 2 days that were somewhat loose and unassociated with abdominal pain or other symptoms.