US bans Red dye No. 3 in food, says it causes cancer in lab rats | Business and Economic Affairs

Wednesday’s ban by US regulators on food imports comes more than three decades after the ban on cosmetics.

The United States has banned the use of an artificial food dye that gives sweets, cakes and certain beverages a cherry-red color, following evidence that the dye causes cancer in laboratory rats.

The ban on Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration in Red No. 3 dyes in food comes more than three decades after the ban on cosmetics.

“Why would you say that something that can’t be in cosmetics, but you can eat, doesn’t make sense to me. I’m very happy that they finally did what I think they should have done years ago,” said petitioner Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program.

Consumer advocacy groups have been calling for a ban on the dye for several years, including a request in 2022 to review studies showing high exposure to the additive can cause cancer in male rats.

“The FDA cannot approve a food additive or colorant if it has been found to cause cancer in humans or animals,” said Jim Jones, deputy commissioner for Human Foods at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

However, the regulator said studies in other animals and humans have not shown these effects and that the available evidence does not support claims that the use of dyes in food and oral drugs puts people at risk.

Producers using Red No. 3 in food have until January 15, 2027, to reformulate their products and manufacturers of absorbed drugs have until January 18, 2028, to comply with the ban.

Lawmakers grilled FDA Commissioner Robert Califf at a recent US Senate committee hearing on the use of food dyes.

“Food safety is a top priority for US candy companies, and we will continue to follow and comply with FDA safety guidelines,” said the trade group National Confectioners Association.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, chosen by US President Donald Trump to lead the highest health organization in the country, always talks about reducing chemicals in food.