FDA bans red dye 3 foods

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday banned the use of food dye Red #3 in the nation’s food supply and ingested products, nearly 35 years after it was removed from cosmetics due to cancer risks.

In 2022, the FDA granted a petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who called on the agency to revoke authorization for the substance that provides the bright red color to candies, snack cakes, maraschino cherries, and other food items.

The agency explained that this decision was made “as a matter of law” because several studies indicated that the dye caused cancer in lab rats. Officials cited the Delaney Clause, a statute from 1960, which mandates the FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in humans or animals. This clause, part of the Color Additives Amendment to the FD&C Act, prohibits the authorization of any food or color additive linked to cancer.

This is not the first time the FDA has revoked an authorization under the Delaney Clause. In 2018, the agency also withdrew approval for certain synthetic flavors based on similar safety concerns.