SILVER SPRING MD – January 15, 2025 – On January 15th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally banned the use of food color additive red dye No. 3 because of years of concern about its adverse health impacts. The FDA had ruled against the use of the color additive in cosmetics or externally applied drugs for more than 30 years because it has been linked to cancer in animals. However, the food additive is used in almost 9 thousand food products in America and commonly found in drinks, snacks, candies and cereals. Consumer advocacy groups and many scientists have tried to have the FDA remove Red 3 from foods, dietary supplements, and oral medicines for many years because of the cancer risk.
Food dyes are used to make junk food more appealing to kids. It may also fool parents into believing that the product contains a healthy fruit like strawberries. Red food dye 3 allows products to have bright cherry-red color. It is derived from petroleum. The dye is in many candies, cakes and frozen desserts including Brach’s, Pez, and Peeps and in many Halloween candies like candy corn. It is also in Dubble Bubble chewing gum. The food dye has been FDA approved for use in food and ingested drugs since 1969.
Studies in the 1980’s have indicated that high doses of red dye No. 3 caused thyroid cancer in laboratory male rats. As a result of these findings, the FDA banned its use in cosmetics, like lipstick and blush, and externally applied drugs in 1990. The agency has previously said that it would consider banning Red 3 in foods, ingested drugs, and supplements since U.S. laws prohibits the use of food additives that are shown to cause cancer in people or animals.
According to the FDA, red dye No. 3 must be removed from food by mid-January 2027 and from ingested drugs the next year. In 2023, California became the first state to ban the use of Red No. 3 in food. It is banned or severely restricted by other countries, including Australia, Japan, and the European Union. All color additives must be approved by the FDA before they are used in food sold in the U.S.
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Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]
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