This audio is generated automatically. Please let me know if you have any comments.
Diving overview:
- The FDA has approved Red No. 1, an artificial coloring commonly used in candies, cereals, cakes and other foods. 3 was banned. It has been shown to be linked to cancer in mice.
- The decision allows food manufacturers to reformulate products containing synthetic dyes until January 15, 2027.
- The decision to ban Red No. 3 from foods and beverages comes more than 30 years after the FDA restricted its use in cosmetics and topical products in 1990. The Center for Science in the Public Interest and 23 other organizations and scientists petitioned the FDA to: Food coloring banned in 2022.
Dive Insights:
Approved for food use in 1907, Red No. 3 is made from petroleum and its bright red color has made it a popular coloring in everything from candy to soda.
The Environmental Working Group found that in 2022, 2,876 branded foods contained red No. 3. food app GoCoCo estimated last year:About a quarter of baking decorations and dessert toppings contain dyes, according to data cited by Bloomberg. Red No. 3 was also found in 16% of chewing gum and mints, 13% of candies, and 11% of cookies and biscuits.
Red No. 3, approved for use in food in 1907, is made from petroleum. According to CPSI, the food and drug industry will be ranked Red No. 1 in 2021. More than 200,000 pounds of 3 were used.
The FDA warned that the way Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans. Nonetheless, Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, said that under a measure known as the Delaney Clause, it would “approve food additives or color additives if they are found to cause cancer in humans or animals.” “I can’t,” he added.
Red No. 3 has been banned in other countries, including Europe, where it can only be used on certain cherries.
The FDA’s decision marks a victory for consumer advocates who have been pushing to revoke approval for the colorant for decades.
“The FDA’s action today represents a monumental victory for consumer health and safety,” Ken Cook, EWG’s president and co-founder, said in a statement. “Red 3 has remained in foods for many years despite growing evidence linking it to health problems, especially in children.”
CPSI President Peter G. Lurie echoed similar sentiments, saying the FDA has finally “put an end to the regulatory paradox of Red 3, which is illegal for use in lipstick but perfectly legal to feed to children.”
As a result of consumers choosing clean label ingredients and state action, many food companies have begun phasing out dyes. According to CSPI, California will be Red No. 1 in food by 2023. 3, and 10 other states have introduced bills calling for similar bans.
The National Confectioners Association, a trade group representing chocolate, candy, gum and mints, said food safety is a top priority for U.S. confectioners. Authorities urged the FDA to make a decision on Red 3, saying the state-led ban was emotionally driven and lacked scientific support.
“We will continue to follow and adhere to the FDA’s guidance and safety standards,” the group said in a statement. “FDA is the legitimate national regulatory decision-maker and leader in food safety.”
