The FDA banned Red No. 3, an artificial color used in beverages, candy and other foods

The dye is still used in thousands of foods, including candy, cereals, fruit cocktails, cherry and strawberry-flavored milkshakes, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group that in 2022 The agency was requested to use it to eliminate it

The FDA’s decision marks a victory for consumer advocacy groups and some U.S. lawmakers who have long urged the FDA to revoke approval of the supplement, citing ample evidence that Its use in beverages, dietary supplements, cereals and candies can cause cancer as well as affect children’s behavior. .

Food manufacturers will have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate their products. Companies that make ingestible drugs, such as dietary supplements, will get an extra year.

FDA’s Deputy Director of Human Food, Jim Jones, said in a statement, “The FDA does not approve any food additive or color additive. Can’t if it causes cancer in humans or animals.” “Evidence Shows Cancer in Male Laboratory Rats Exposed to High Levels of FD&C Red No. 3.”

Red Dye No. 3, approved for use in foodstuffs in 1907, is made from petroleum.

The FDA first became aware of it as a possible carcinogen after a study in the 1980s found tumors in male rats exposed to high doses. The agency banned the additive in cosmetics in 1990.

“This removes an unnecessary threat to the American food supply, and we welcome this action, even though it should have happened more than three decades ago,” said Dr. Peter Lowry, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Profile Food Industry Watchdog Group.

Red No. 3 is already banned or severely restricted in places outside the US, including Australia, Japan and European Union countries.

Some American food manufacturers have already removed artificial colors, including Red No. 3, from their products.

All color additives must be approved by the FDA before they can be used in foods sold in the U.S. There are 36 color additives approved by the FDA, nine of which are artificial colors.

The FDA has said it is actively reviewing the approval of Red No. 3 following a petition filed by a coalition of organizations, including CSPI, asking the FDA to approve the additive in foods. Canceled, given its potential cancer risks

There are also concerns about whether artificial food colors can affect children’s behavior. In 2011, the FDA examined the possible relationship between artificial colors and hyperactivity. in children. However, it determined that no causal relationship could be established.

Although the FDA is now revoking its approval, ending its use nationwide, other states had already taken action.

California, along with 10 other states, have already taken steps to ban food dyes, according to CSPI.