The FDA has announced a ban on Red No. 3, a dye commonly used in products ranging from fruit cocktail cherries to popular candy, from food products and ingested drugs.
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Approved for use in 1907, the dye has been banned from cosmetics and topical drugs since 1990 due to evidence linking it to cancer, according to the New York Post. Its use in food is also prohibited or heavily restricted in regions such as Australia, Japan, and the European Union.
Red No. 3. is still commonly found in a wide range of food products. These include a variety of food products like veggie bacon strips, boxed mashed potatoes, and various candies, according to The Post.
Food manufacturers must eliminate it from all products by January 15, 2027. Meanwhile, producers of ingested drugs have until January 18, 2028, to comply.
The new ban stems from the Delaney Clause. It’s a 1960 law that prohibits the FDA from approving food or color additives linked to cancer.
“The FDA cannot authorize a food additive or color additive if it has been found to cause cancer in humans or animals,” Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy director for human foods, explained, per NBC. “Evidence shows cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3.”
However, the FDA highlighted that studies conducted on humans and other animals did not demonstrate the same effects, stating that “available data does not raise safety concerns for humans.”
The Popular Red Dye Was Nearly Banned Over Three Decades Ago
“These food dyes only serve one function in food, to make them look pretty, so you and I want to buy it, it’s a marketing tool,” Thomas Galligan, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, explained to NBC.
In 1992, the FDA announced plans to ban its use in food. However, the agency ultimately refrained from taking action, citing the significant resources required to revoke its authorization.
The federal ban follows the California Food Safety Act, which prohibited Red No. 3 over a year ago. However, that legislation is also set to take effect in 2027. Several other states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Illinois, and South Dakota, have introduced similar bills.