
5 Food Products That Often Contain Newly FDA Banned Red Dye No. 3
No more red dye no. 3!
On Wednesday (Jan. 15), the FDA officially announced that it is banning red dye no. 3 in food and ingested drugs in the United States.
They explained that the decision comes in response to a 2022 color additive petition.
Red dye no. 3, according to the FDA, is a "synthetic food dye that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color."
They also said that red due no. 3 is not as "widely used" in food and drugs as other "certified" dyes like red no. 40 and variations of blue and yellow.
The findings are "based on information available in third-party food product labeling databases, food manufacturers’ websites and other public information, and the FDA’s certification data."
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Now, companies that use red no. 3 in their food and drug products will have until Jan. 15, 2027, or Jan. 18, 2028, to reformulate their products.
Other countries that still use the dye (also called erythrosine) will have to comply with U.S. requirements for food imported into the country.
What Foods Have Red Dye No. 3?
The FDA reported that red dye no. 3 can be found in five commonly bought food items: candy, cookies, ice cream and ice pops, meal replacement drinks and bars, and even baby food.
More specifically, Women's Health Magazine reports it can be found in baking decorations, ice cream cones, frostings and icings, cakes and cupcakes, toaster pastries and ingested drugs.
However, Women's Health also reports red dye no. 3 has been "widely criticized" for years, leading to many food manufacturers already having taken it out of their products.
Why Is Red Dye No. 3 Banned?
The FDA's statement said the decision comes in response to a 2022 petition to remove the dye from U.S. products due to a study where it was found to cause cancer in lab rats.
"The petition requested the agency review whether the Delaney Clause applied and cited, among other data and information, two studies that showed cancer in laboratory male rats," the organization said.
The Delaney Clause, which was created in 1960, "prohibits FDA authorization of a food additive or color additive if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals."
However, they noted that "the way that FD&C red no. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans."
And that exposure levels in humans to red dye no. 3 are "typically much lower" than those found in the lab rats.
Notably, California already banned red dye no. 3 in October 2023.
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