Federal officials moved Wednesday to ban a controversial bright red dye used in drinks and snacks that has been linked to cancer in animals, a decision arriving decades after the coloring was removed from cosmetics.
The Food and Drug Administration’s action affects red dye No. 3, which was approved for permanent use in food and ingested drugs more than 50 years ago. The decision comes more than two years after advocates pressured the agency to ban the dye, which is used in bubblegum, candy and fruit cocktail, arguing that it is safer to use natural coloring derived from plants such as beets and red cabbage.
Studies have shown that high doses could cause cancer in rats, prompting the FDA to decide to remove the artificial dye. But the agency maintains that there is no evidence that ingesting the cherry-red coloring causes cancer in humans.
The FDA’s decision comes at a crucial time for food policy in the United States. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Donald Trump picked to lead the nation’s health department, has been critical of some chemicals and ingredients found in food and drinks. Social media influencers and lawmakers in both parties are also increasingly scrutinizing food and drinks sold in grocery stores, while the FDA pleads for more money from Congress to devote to chemical safety.
Red dye No. 3 must be removed from food by mid-January 2027 and excised from ingested drugs the following year. The FDA says its decision to ban red dye No. 3 was based on a federal law called the Delaney Clause, which prohibits additives found to cause cancer in humans or animals at any dose.
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