FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3

The dye can be found in candy, soda and other products.

January 16, 2025

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, beverages and drugs, more than three decades after the synthetic coloring was first found to cause cancer in male laboratory rats, reported the New York Times.

“The dye, a petroleum-based additive, has been used to give candy, soda and other products their vibrant cherry red hue. Consumer advocates said the FDA’s decision to revoke the authorization was long overdue, given the agency’s decision in 1990 to ban the chemical for use in cosmetics and topical drugs,” wrote the Times.

Food manufacturers will have until early 2027 to reformulate products that use Red Dye No. 3, according to the Wall Street Journal. Imported foods sold in the United States would also have to remove the additive.

“The Center for Science in the Public Interest, along with almost two dozen other organizations and individuals, filed a petition in 2022 calling on the FDA to revoke authorization of Red 3 in food and drugs. The petition pointed to the agency’s evaluation of research that found the dye ‘causes a carcinogenic response in rats.’ The FDA said that the same carcinogenicity in rats linked to Red 3 doesn’t occur in humans,” reported the Journal.

In 2023, California became the first state to ban Red 3 along with three other food additives that have been linked to disease. It is already banned for food use in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, with a notable exception: maraschino cherries, according to the Times.

The Journal said that earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to continue investigating food dyes and ultra-processed foods.

NACS is hosting the Food Safety Forum on April 8 in Dallas. The NACS Food Safety Forum is developed and administered by convenience industry food safety, foodservice, quality assurance and risk management leaders. This is the only retail-focused event of its kind for the global convenience community. Register here.