FDA Bans Use of Red Dye No. 3 in US Food and Drink
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Announce On Wednesday, it effectively banned Red 3, a controversial artificial red dye found in food and drinks that has been linked to cancer. The FDA is updating its color additive regulations following a petition filed in 2022 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on nutrition and public health. The petition urges the FDA to review two studies showing that exposure to Red 3 causes cancer in male laboratory rats.
The dye has also been linked to behavioral effects in children, including ADHD. this FDA concluded “Further neurobehavioral research is needed to explain the potential pathways behind these sensitivities.” The government advises concerned parents to check the ingredient list on the label and consult their GP.
Red No. 3 is made from petroleum and was first approved by the FDA for food consumption in 1907. In the United States, it is widely used in candies, cereals, cakes, frostings, carbonated beverages, and many other products to give foods a vibrant cherry-red color. But it is banned in many other places, including the European Union and Japan. The FDA banned the use of Red No. 3 in cosmetics in 1990.
The decision comes after decades of pressure from advocacy groups and lawmakers to remove the ingredient from the U.S. food supply.
In a press release Wednesday, the Center for Science in the Public Interest applauded the change.
“The FDA has finally put an end to the regulatory paradox of Red 3 being illegal for use in lipstick but perfectly legal for feeding to children in candy form,” said CSPI President Peter Lurie. “The primary purpose of food coloring is to make candies, beverages, and other processed foods more Attractive. Why accept any cancer risk when functionality is purely aesthetic?”
Lurie urges parents to avoid not just red No. 3 dye, but all numbered dyes, such as yellow 5 and red 40.
“If the incoming administration wants to protect children’s health, it should require companies to warn parents about the risks all synthetic dyes pose to their children — right on the label of the package,” Lurie said.
Under new guidance from the FDA, manufacturers that use Red No. 3 in food and ingestible drugs have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate their products. Imported foods containing dyes are also subject to U.S. regulations.
