By leah jones
The FDA announced on Jan. 15, 2025 that it is banning the use of FD&C Red No. 3 or Red Dye 3 in food and ingested drugs.
The decision is made based on the Delany Clause prohibiting any ingredients linked to cancer in humans or animals.
Red Dye 3, also known as Erythrosine, is a synthetic food coloring agent. It is used in many processed foods, baked goods and ingestible drugs to give them a bright colored appearance.
This food dye has been banned in cosmetics and non-oral/topical drugs in the US since 1990 after lab studies conducted in the 1980s linked it to causing cancer in rats.
Additionally, a more widely-used dye called Red Dye 40 has been linked to ADHD symptoms and hyperactivity in children specifically.
Since then, many advocacy groups and organizations have been petitioning for the FDA to ban Red Dye 3 in foods as well.
However, after decades of debate, the FDA has enforced the ban citing the zero tolerance policy of the Delany Clause.
The FDA has officially given food manufacturers until Jan. 15, 2027 to eliminate Red Dye 3 from their products and manufacturers of ingested drugs have until Jan. 18, 2028 to eliminate the dye.
Thousands of food products contain Red Dye 3. It is primarily used in candies, baked goods, maraschino cherries, frostings, frozen desserts and some beverages.
Popular candies and sweets containing Red Dye 3 include: Pez Candy Assorted Fruit, Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum, Brach's Candy Corn, Jelly Belly candies, Brach’s Conversation Hearts, etc.
To identify the presence of Red Dye No. 3 in a specific product, check the ingredient list for terms like "Red 3," “FD&C Red No. 3” or "Erythrosine."
You can also search for specific food products in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Search database.
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