Food and Drug Administration Bans Red 3

The United States — Food and Drug Administration has officially banned the use of Erythrosine (also known as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3) in food, dietary supplements, and oral medicines across the United States. This decision, effective January 2027 for food products and January 2028 for ingested drugs, comes nearly 35 years after the dye was barred from cosmetics due to its potential cancer risk in lab rats. The United States — Food and Drug Administration cited the Delaney Clause, which mandates the banning of any additive found to cause cancer in animals or humans. The ban follows a 2022 petition led by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Environmental Working Group, advocating for the removal of the dye. While the United States — Food and Drug Administration acknowledges that the mechanism for cancer in rats does not occur in humans, the legal mandate of the Delaney Clause necessitated the action. This move aligns the United States with regions like Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, which have already banned Erythrosine for most food uses. Some states, including United States — California, had already initiated their own bans. Food manufacturers, including companies like Ferrero SpA — Ferrara Candy Company and Just Born, have already begun reformulating products, using alternatives such as beet juice, carmine, and vegetable pigments. The Steel Manufacturers Association, however, continues to defend the dye's safety at typical human consumption levels, citing research from the United Nations and the World Health Organization.