US Food and Drug Administration published on Wednesday that it effectively bans the red no. 3, the controversial artificial red dye found in foods and drinks that has been linked to cancer. The FDA is updating its color additive regulations 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 called on the FDA to review two studies indicating that exposure to red number 3 caused cancer in male lab rats.
Color has also been linked to behavioral influences in children, including hyperactivity. On The FDA concluded that “further neurobehavioral research is needed to elucidate the potential pathways underlying these sensitivities.” The administration advises concerned parents to check ingredient lists on labels and talk to a family doctor.
Red No. 3, made from petroleum, was first approved for food consumption by the FDA in 1907. It is widely used in candies, cereals, cakes, sweets, sodas and many other products in the United States, where it gives foods a vivid cherry. – red color. But it is banned in many other places, including the European Union and Japan. The FDA itself banned Red Number 3 from being used in cosmetics in 1990.
The decision follows decades of pressure from advocacy groups and lawmakers to remove the ingredient from the US food supply.
In a media 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 in candy form,” said CSPI President Peter Lurie. “The primary purpose of food coloring is to make candy, beverages, and other processed foods more appealing. When the function is purely aesthetic, why accept any risk of cancer?
Lurie urged parents to avoid not only red no. 3, but also all numbered colors, 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 that all synthetic dyes pose to their children — right on the package label,” Lurie said.
Manufacturers using red no. 3 in food and ingested drugs must reformulate their products by January 15, 2027, according to new FDA guidance. Imported food containing the dye will also have to comply with US regulations.