FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 From Food and Drinks In U.S.

By Robin Burks Leave a Comment

Red Dye No. 3 is a food additive you’ll find in foods like candy, baking decorations, frostings, cookies, toaster pastries, and more.

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However, the additive has been under fire for some time, and in 2023, the state of California actually banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in foods sold in that state. Now, that ban has extended to the entirety of the U.S. CNN reports that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially banned the additive from all food, drinks, and ingested drugs sold in the country.

Red Dye No. 3’s chemical name, erythrosine, is made from petroleum and is often used to give foods and drinks a bright red color. Previous scientific research on the chemical shows a link to cancer in animals. In 2022, multiple organizations and people petitioned for a federal ban, which follows the California ban.

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Food and drink manufacturers have until January 15th, 2027 to come up with other options for their products without the dye. Likewise, manufacturers of ingested drugs have until January 18th, 2028 to comply with the ban. The ban also applies to food imported into the U.S.

Some companies have already phased out the use of the product in their products, including Ferrara, which makes Brach’s candies, which began phasing out the use of Red Dye No. 3 in 2023. The manufacturer of Peeps, Just Born, stopped using the additive after Easter 2024. Some companies use Red Dye No. 40 instead, which is considered a healthier alternative and has not been associated with cancer in animals.

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