The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing a petition to ban red dye No. 3, a common additive in beverages, snacks, cereals, and candies.
Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, said it’s time to reevaluate the department’s determination that the artificial coloring is safe for human consumption as more than a decade has passed since that decision was made.
“With red 3, we have a petition in front of us to revoke the authorization board, and we’re hopeful that in the next few weeks, we’ll be acting on that petition,” Jones told a health committee last Thursday, per USA Today.
House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) said he supported a ban on red dye No. 3. The dye is made from petroleum and is used to give food and drinks a bright red hue. One argument against its use is that it is solely used for marketing purposes and provides no nutritional value.
“With the holiday season in full swing where sweet treats are abundant, it is frightening that this chemical remains hidden in these foods that we and our children are eating,” Pallone wrote in a letter. “While food companies must ensure that the food they market is safe, they are also only required to ensure that their products meet FDA’s standards. This means that thousands of products that contain this chemical can remain on the market.”
The outlet noted that red dye No. 3 has been linked to hyperactivity in children and has been found to cause cancer in animals. To date, no study has made a connection between consumption of the artificial dye and cancer in humans.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary, has stated his belief that food dyes cause cancer, but has not voiced his opinion on the current petition or laid out a plan for banning specific dyes.
“There are some departments such as the nutrition departments in the FDA that have to go, that are not doing their job, they are not protecting our kids,” RFK Jr. told NBC News last month. “Why do we have Fruit Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients and you go to Canada and it’s got two or three?” he said.
Red dye No. 3 has been banned from cosmetics in the U.S. since 1990. The additive is already banned in the European Union, and beginning in January 2027, it will also be prohibited in foods sold or manufactured in California.
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