FDA Takes New Action in Banning Red Dye
The US Food and Drug Administration has terminated red dye No. 3 from all foods, drinks, and dietary supplements after discovering a link to cancer in animals.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a food safety advocacy group that filed a petition with the FDA in 2022 to ban its use, the dye continues to be used in thousands of foods, such as candy, cereals, maraschino cherries, and strawberry-flavored milkshakes.
red dye is pic.twitter.com/zzSgl11hzV— christina (@abarefootmomma) January 15, 2025
CSPI, referencing data from the Department of Agriculture, reports that over 9,200 food products contain the dye, including many made by major food companies. Meanwhile, the FDA has not banned other artificial dyes, such as Red No. 40, despite concerns about its potential link to behavioral issues in children.
“The FDA is taking action that will remove the authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs,” stated Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods. “Evidence shows cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3. Importantly, the way that FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans.”
I’ll never trust the government when it comes to any health related issue, but banning red dye 3 was a great move, and credit where it’s due — MJ (@MissCimato) January 15, 2025
According to the AP, food manufacturers are required to eliminate the dye from their products by January 2027, while drug manufacturers have until January 2028 to comply. The new regulation will also apply to foods imported into the U.S. from other countries.
“This is a welcome, but long overdue, action from the FDA: ending the unjust double standard that allowed Red 3 in candy while banning it from lipstick,” mentioned Dr. Peter Lurie, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the group that spearheaded the petition.
Nearly 35 years ago, the dye was banned from cosmetics due to concerns about its potential cancer risk.
“This is a big win for consumers that this cancer-causing chemical is finally going to be out of the food supply. It is long overdue,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy health organization that joined the petition to end the use of Red No. 3. “We are thrilled that the FDA has finally managed to get it over the finish line.”
Learn more about the ban here.
