The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of Red Dye No. 3, a synthetic food coloring commonly added to give foods a bright red cherry color, citing potential cancer risks.
The current FDA decision to ban the use of the controversial dye in foods, beverages, oral drugs, and dietary supplements comes nearly 35 years after it prohibited the use of the same in cosmetics due to cancer risks found in animal studies.
“The FDA is revoking the authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The Delaney Clause, enacted in 1960 as part of the Color Additives Amendment to the FD&C Act, prohibits FDA authorization of a food additive or color additive if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals,” the FDA news release stated.
Despite being banned in topical drugs and cosmetics since 1990 due to its cancer-causing effects in rats, three decades later, Red Dye No. 3 is still found in thousands of popular products, including candies, snacks, and fruit-flavored items, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a leading food safety advocacy group that petitioned the FDA to fully ban its use in 2022.
“All Americans deserve foods free from harmful food additives. Removing Red 3 and other unsafe, unnecessary food chemicals from our food supply is a critical step for protecting consumers. We hope to see FDA and Congress act soon to reform the broken federal regulatory systems that have allowed unsafe chemicals to enter and stay in our food supply for so long,” said CSPI’s Principal Scientist for Additives and Supplements Thomas Galligan.
The FDA previously investigated a potential link between artificial dyes, including Red No. 3, and hyperactivity in children. Although the committee convened in 2011 did not find a direct cause-and-effect relationship, their report concluded: “Artificial food colors are not a main cause of ADHD, but they…
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