US bans Red Dye 3 in some frostings, candy and medicines

The US has banned the use of a synthetic dye commonly added to foods and beverages to give them their bright, cherry-red color.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Wednesday that manufacturers will no longer be allowed to use a dye called Red No. 3, or Red Dye 3, after studies linked it to cancer in male laboratory rats.

While studies have shown general exposure to the dye in humans is much lower than in rats, US law requires a ban if a link to cancer is found.

The agency said the dye is used primarily in candy, cakes, cookies, frozen desserts and frostings, as well as some medications.

The ban is the result of a petition filed in 2022 by several groups, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest. He argued that the dye should be banned due to its association with cancer and its widespread use by American consumers, especially children.

Red No. 3 was banned in cosmetics by the FDA 35 years ago. California also bans the additive in food products in October 2023.

It is banned outside the US in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the European Union.

The FDA’s ban is “long overdue,” said the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a US-based nonprofit consumer advocacy group that has long pushed for a ban.

“Finally, the FDA is ending the regulatory contradiction of making it illegal for Red 3 to be used in lipstick, but it is completely illegal to feed it to children as candy,” Dr. Peter Lurie, the group’s president, said in a statement Wednesday. Kind of legal.” ,

Food manufacturers using Red No. 3 will have until January 2027 to reformulate their products, while drug manufacturers will have an additional year until January 2028 to make adjustments.

Food imported into the US will also have to comply with the new restrictions, the FDA said.

Red No. 3, also known as erythrosin or red dye 3, has been used in many candies, baked goods, fruit products, and beverages.

Colored candies – such as Pez – include the additive as an ingredient. It has also been used in toaster pastries, maraschino cherries, and some sodas and fruit-flavored drinks.

This mixture was used to give cough syrup and gummy vitamins their bright red color.

Some manufacturers have already stopped using the dye in their products, such as Dole, which removed it from its fruit bowls in 2023.

Instead of red dye 3, some companies have begun using red dye 40, which is considered a healthier alternative, although one study has linked it to an increase in bowel disorders in rats.

Another study by the UK Food Standards Agency linked red dye 40 to increased hyperactivity in children. The additive was banned in California schools last year.