Red No. 3 banned in the USA Food, medicine - here's what you should know about the dye

Topline

The Food and Drug Administration has announced it will ban the use of the artificial food dye Red No. 3, which has been linked to thyroid cancer in animals, after years of push by parents and health advocates, a state ban and dozens of other measures Countries.

Three buckets of Dubble Bubble chewing gum.

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Important facts

The FDA announced Wednesday that it will ban the use of red dye No. 3 in foods and ingested medications, decades after it was banned in cosmetics and topical medications because of its link to thyroid cancer in animals.

Manufacturers that use Red No. 3 in food or medicine have until January 15, 2027 and January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products, and the ban applies to all internationally manufactured products imported into the United States

Red No. 3, or erythrosine, a color additive made from petroleum, has previously been able to be used in foods in small amounts, as approved by the FDA on a case-by-case basis.

The FDA has been considering a request to ban the additive since 2022. At the time, California became the first state to ban the sale of red number 3 foods, while lawmakers in 10 other states introduced laws doing the same.

Even in its announcement of the ban, the FDA reiterated its position that the additive does not necessarily pose a risk to humans. She explained that the dye causes cancer in rats “does not occur in humans” and pointed out that exposure levels for the dye are typically much lower in humans than in the rodents studied.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary, has also vowed to crack down on the use of food dyes if confirmed, claiming that the dyes cause cancer and ADHD in children.

In other parts of the world, Red No. 3 is significantly more regulated, including in the European Union, where it is only approved for use in cocktails and candied cherries, and in Korea, where the use of most synthetic colors is banned in certain foods is mainly eaten by children and young people.

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Which foods contain red dye 3?

Candy, fruit juice and other snacks are the most common sources of the dye, which can still be found in more than 2,800 items on American shelves. Products that have been on Red List 3 in recent years include some varieties of Fruit by the Foot, Dubble Bubble gum, Entenmann’s Little Bites, Hostess’ Ding Dongs, Nestle strawberry milk, Jordan Almonds, Pez candies, Brach’s Candy Corn and some flavors of According to the Environmental Working Group and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Ringpop is one of the applicants seeking to ban the dye. Grocery chains Albertson’s, Kroger, Meijer’s, Target, and Walmart all use Red 3 in some of their private label products, and other items such as Betty Crocker’s stuffed mashed potatoes, Vigo saffron mash, and Don Pancho green and blue tortilla chips also list the dye as an ingredient.

Which medications contain red dye 3?

Among the common medicines that Red No. 3 include Tylenol PM, Gabapentin and Doxycycline. Red No. 3 is also an inactive component of the capsule shell of the popular ADHD medication Vyvanse.

What are the problems with Red #3?

Decades-old studies have found that Red No. 3 causes cancer in laboratory animals, particularly thyroid cancer in rats. However, the FDA has stated that these studies “have limited relevance to humans” because cancer is not caused the same way in both species. There are no studies showing that Red #3 causes thyroid cancer in humans. Other research has linked the additive to behavioral health problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, particularly in children. Clinical studies over the past two decades have shown that children who consumed juices containing food coloring experienced a small but significant increase in hyperactivity. However, the association was not considered strong enough for the FDA to require warnings about the possible effects on children. In 2021, California state scientists and University of California researchers reviewed dozens of studies and came to a similar conclusion that food dyes may affect the normal behavior of some children.

Crucial quote

“There is reasonable suspicion that food dyes may be harmful to at least some children,” Joel Nigg, a professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University, told the New York Times. “So why would we subject them to this?”

Big number

215,780. So many pounds of Red No. 3 were used by the food and drug industry in 2021, according to the FDA.

Surprising fact

According to the FDA, children ages 2 to 5 consume about twice as much of the red dye through their diet, based on body weight, as the general population.

Important background

The Food and Drug Administration banned the use of red dye No. 3 in cosmetics and topical medications in 1990 based on findings from unpublished animal studies that showed a link between the chemical and thyroid cancer. However, it is still approved for use in food, ingestible medicines, and dietary supplements. Every use of the dye must be approved by the FDA, down to the specific batch added to the food. Companies are only allowed to use the additive from batches of the product that the agency has analyzed a sample of and found to meet safety and purity requirements. Red No. 3 must also be declared on the ingredient lists of all food labels that contain the additive. In 2022, numerous health groups, including the Center for Environmental Health, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Public Health Institute, and Healthy Babies Bright Futures, filed a petition with the FDA asking it to revoke the right to use Red . #3 in all foods and medications taken, making the additive “unsafe.”

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Red No. 3 banned in the USA Food, medicine – here’s what you should know about the dye