Finally! Red No. 3 Is Being Banned by the FDA

The synthetic dye can be found in some candies, baked goods, fruit cocktails, soda and fruit drinks, cough syrups and gummy vitamins

Adisak Mitrprayoon/istockphoto.com

The FDA gave us some good news today: It’s finally banning Red No. 3, the synthetic cherry-red dye that’s been lurking in many foods and drinks for years. Citing Red No. 3’s link to cancer in animals, the FDA will require food and drug manufacturers to remove it from all of their products.

“The FDA cannot authorize a food additive or color additive 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 laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3.”

Red No. 3, which is made from petroleum, is already banned or restricted in Australia, Japan and countries throughout Europe. Food safety advocates have been pushing for a ban since as far back as 1990 (and even earlier), when the FDA banned Red No. 3 in cosmetics.

“The FDA’s decision to ban Red No. 3 from food is a positive one, given this additive can cause cancer in lab animals and has also been shown to cause hyperactivity in kids,” Debbie Bessen, MS, RD, CSO, CLT, the Nutrition Outreach Manager for Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, told New Jersey Family.

Because the ban will not go into effect until 2027, Besson suggests parents check nutrition labels, particularly for beverages, candy, sugary cereals and cherries in fruit cocktails, and avoid products that have the artificial coloring. “If you are making foods at home that would use Red No. 3, which has no nutritional benefits, replace the dye with natural food coloring made from beetroot powder or beet juice,”  Bessen adds. For a list of foods with Red No. 3 to avoid, click here.

Harlivleen “Livleen” Gill, MBA, RDN, LDN, FAND, President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, said the ban signals “a great step toward improving public health, reducing chronic diseases, and fostering a stronger, more resilient society” but added that it’s important to remember that no one ingredient or food increases cancer risk.

“It is the amounts and patterns of food consumed over time, along with other genetic and lifestyle factors, that influence health risk,” Gill said in a statement. Gill went on to urge the government to go further than banning harmful ingredients by supporting policies “that help bolster sustainable agriculture, reduce food waste, and ensure equitable access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.”

The FDA’s announcement follows a ban on Red No. 3 put in place in California. The California Food Safety Act, signed into law last October, prohibits the use of Red Dye No. 3 and three other food additives. It will take effect in January 2027. New Jersey is among other states looking into similar bans.

I’ll be using this news to continue talking to my teens about reading food labels and avoiding ingredients like hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners like aspartame, potassium bromate (often found in packaged bread), soy lecithin (often in cookies and crackers) and other chemical names none of us can pronounce.

My general common sense rule to live by: Prioritize whole foods (which I know isn’t always easy) and when eating packaged foods, the fewer the ingredients, the better. It’s a daily battle, of course, but today was a good day.

Read More:
5 Tips to Keep Your Kids Healthy This Winter 
How to Raise Healthy Eaters (Yes, Really!)

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