Red dye #3 can have harmful health effects. The cherries come from a canned fruit cocktail sold at Dollar TreeIsland Choice Diced Fruit Cocktail (the cherries are #3 red).
Linnea Ingots | The Washington Post | fake images
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it will ban the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that gives foods and beverages their bright cherry red color but has been linked to cancer in animals.
The dye is still used in thousands of foods, including candies, cereals, cherries in fruit cocktails and strawberry-flavored smoothies, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group that petitioned the agency in 2022 to end its use.
The FDA's decision marks a victory for consumer advocacy groups and some U.S. lawmakers who have long urged the FDA to revoke approval of the additive, citing ample evidence that its use in beverages, dietary supplements, cereals and sweets can cause cancer in addition to affecting children's behavior. .
Food manufacturers will have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate their products. Companies that make oral medications, such as dietary supplements, will get an extra year.
“The FDA cannot authorize a food additive or coloring if it has been found to cause cancer in humans or animals,” Jim Jones, the FDA's deputy director for human foods, said in a statement. “Evidence shows cancer in male lab rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3.”
What is red dye No. 3?
Red dye number 3, approved for use in foods in 1907, is made from petroleum.
The FDA first realized that the additive was possibly carcinogenic after a study in the 1980s that found tumors in male rats that were exposed to it at high doses. The agency banned the additive in cosmetics in 1990.
“It removes an unnecessary hazard from the American food supply, and we welcome that action, even though it should have happened more than three decades ago,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a think tank. high level. profile of the food industry watchdog group.
Red No. 3 is already banned or severely restricted in locations outside the United States, including Australia, Japan and countries in the European Union.
Some American food manufacturers have already removed artificial colors, including Red No. 3, from their products.
All color additives must be approved by the FDA before being used in foods sold in the U.S. There are 36 FDA-approved color additives, nine of which are synthetic colorants.
The FDA has said it has been actively reviewing the approval of Red No. 3 following a petition filed by a coalition of organizations, including the CSPI, asking the FDA to revoke the approval of the food additive, noting its potential risks of cancer.
There is also concern about whether artificial food coloring could affect children's behavior. The FDA reviewed the possible link between artificial dyes and hyperactivity in children in 2011. However, it determined that no causal relationship could be established.
Although the FDA is now revoking its approval, ending its use nationwide, other states had already taken action.
California and 10 other states have already taken steps to ban food coloring, according to CSPI.
