US Bans Red Dye No. 3

The administration of Joe Biden, through the United States — Food and Drug Administration, announced a ban on Erythrosine, a food and drug coloring known to cause cancer in animals. This decision follows decades of scientific evidence and a petition filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest in November 2022, citing the 'Delaney Clause'. While Erythrosine was banned in cosmetics in 1990 due to its link to thyroid cancer in male rats, its use in food and ingested drugs persisted due to resistance from the food industry. The ban requires manufacturers to reformulate products by January 15, 2027, for food and January 18, 2028, for ingested drugs. The United States has lagged behind other major economies like the European Union, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, which banned the dye years ago. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has hailed the decision as overdue and called on the incoming administration of Donald Trump to take further action on other harmful chemicals in food.