FDA Bans Red Dye #3 in US Foods and Beverages

US Food and Drug Administration announced On Wednesday, it effectively bans Red #3, a controversial artificial red dye found in foods and drinks linked to cancer. The FDA is updating its color additive rules following a 2022 petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on nutrition and public health. The petition urged the FDA to review two studies showing that exposure to Red #3 caused cancer in male lab rats.

The dye has also been linked to behavioral effects in children, including hyperactivity.

Red #3, made from petroleum, was first approved for food consumption by the FDA in 1907. It is widely used in the United States in confections, cereals, cakes, ice creams, sodas, and many other products that add a vibrant cherry to foods. – red color. But it has been banned in many other places, including the European Union and Japan. The FDA itself banned the use of Red #3 in cosmetics in 1990.

The decision comes after decades of pressure from advocacy groups and lawmakers to remove the ingredient from the US food supply.

In a press release Wednesday, the Center for Science in the Public Interest welcomed the change.

“Finally, the FDA ends the regulatory paradox of Red 3 being illegal for use in lipstick but perfectly legal to feed to children as candy,” said CSPI President Peter Lurie. “The primary purpose of food dyes is to make candy, beverages, and other processed foods more attractive. If the function is purely aesthetic, why accept any cancer risk?”

Lurie urged parents to avoid not only Red No. 3, but also all numbered paints, 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 package label,” Lurie said.

Manufacturers using Red #3 in food and oral drugs must reformulate their products by January 15, 2027, according to new FDA guidance. Imported foods containing dyes must also comply with US regulations.