The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that it is prohibiting the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic colorant that has been used for many years in the United States to color various products, such as candies, colored drinks, and some oral medications and dietary supplements.
Several food safety advocates have been worried about this substance for a long time in the United States food system.
“The FDA has finally taken steps to remove an unnecessary food coloring from the market, and in doing so, is following the guidelines that have been in place all along,” Dr. Peter Lurie, President and Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says to .
He believes that if no one is promoting this product, it should have been banned a long time ago.
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Why was Red Dye No. 3 banned by the FDA?
The FDA stated that it is banning the use of Red Dye No. 3 because research has shown that the synthetic food coloring can cause cancer in animals.
Under a provision of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA is not allowed to approve any color additive “if it has been proven to cause cancer in humans or animals.”
Jim Jones, the deputy director of the agency for food in humans, said to NBC News that there is “evidence of cancer in research rats that had high levels of FD&C Red Dye No. 3.”
Red Dye No. 3 has not been associated with cancer in humans, but Lurie notes that it’s probably because it’s hard to research whether substances like food preservatives cause cancer in people due to a “variety of technical reasons.”
It’s unethical to administer a substance with potentially carcinogenic properties to human participants in a double-blind study, and conducting research on cancer rates in people who consume Red 3 is difficult because so many individuals consume it, often in unknowable quantities.
There’s a possible connection between artificial dyes, such as Red 3, and hyperactivity in children, but a recent investigation by the agency found no definitive proof that the dyes cause hyperactivity.
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What is Red Dye No. 3?
Red Dye No. 3, also known as erythrosine, is a man-made food coloring that gives foods and beverages a bright red hue. It is also occasionally used in oral medications and dietary supplements.
The FDA has approved 36 color additives for use in the United States; nine are synthetic dyes.
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Following a study that found a possible cancer risk, the additive in personal care products and topical medications is being reconsidered.
Lurie referred to the ban on Red 3 in cosmetics but not in food decades ago as a “regulatory paradox.” He noted it’s “illegal to use in lip balm, it was perfectly fine to feed to children in the form of candy.”
“In the context of candy, drinks, and processed foods, the main purpose of food dyes is to enhance appearance. When the sole purpose of these dyes is for aesthetics, why should they carry any potential cancer risk?” he said in a statement.
A number of countries, including Japan, Australia, and several members of the European Union, have prohibited or restricted the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, according to NBC News.
Which foods contain Red Dye No. 3?
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The organization has discovered over 9,200 US food products that contain Red 3 – including numerous products from America’s largest food companies.
a dietician at Houston Methodist hospital.
- Seasonal sweets, like candy corn and colored marshmallows
- Cakes and cupcakes
- Sweet frozen treats, such as popsicles and ice creams with strawberry flavor.
- Frostings
- Maraschino cherries
- Fruit cocktails
- Colored beverages
- Protein shakes
- Vegetarian meats
- Bacon bits
- Sausages
- Strawberry milk
- Puddings
It’s worth noting that not everything that falls into one of these categories will have Red 3 in it, so consumers should read food labels before buying.
The label must list Red 3 if it is present in the food and is required by law.
- FD&C Red No. 3
- FD&C Red 3
- Red 3
Medications with 3 Red Color Code
Certain oral medications that may include Red 3 include:
- Acetaminophen, a pain reliever
- Fluoxetine, an antidepressant
- Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant
- Andomeprazole, which treats heartburn
“Almost everyone is consuming Red 3 at some point,” Lurie says. “They aren’t really aware of it, and they also don’t know the quantities they’re consuming it in.”
