The Food and Drug Administration is banning Red Dye 3 to prevent harm to Americans.
As of 15 January 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is banning Red Dye 3, a common synthetic dye that gives many candies their signature bright red color. The FDA gives companies whose products contain the dye until 15 January 2027 or 18 January 2028 to remove it from all of their products.
For many years now, Americans have had concerns over synthetic dye’s consequences, and the ban on Red Dye 3 is necessary due to the possible harms it could have on our bodies.
Tests have been run in the last several years on animals to deduce the effects of Red Dye 3, and a test on rats confirmed that Red Dye 3 had given the subjects cancer, which raised many concerns for Americans.
While trying to replicate results from the rat’s test on other animals, scientists could not achieve the same results and attributed it to either “a rat specific hormone mechanism” or that the rats had been exposed to the dye at a higher frequency than humans do on a daily basis.
Red Dye 3 was found to disrupt thyroid hormone regulation by inhibiting the thyroid from absorbing iodine, which leads to the thyroid not functioning properly.
Studies have also shown to affect children’s behavior like hyperactivity, aggressiveness and exacerbation of ADHD symptoms.
Many people, especially mothers, petitioned for years to have the synthetic dye banned.
Red Dye 3 in cosmetics has already been banned for thirty-five years because of cancer risks.
The state of California banned the dye in 2023 because of health concerns, and many countries around the world have already banned Red Dye 3 like Australia, New Zealand and many in Europe.
After much review, the FDA has decided that the Delaney clause from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act applied to Red Dye 3 and by law needed to be banned to protect citizens.
While Red Dye 3 was banned during President Joe Biden’s administration, the new Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a hard stance on ultra processed food and large pharmacuetical companies.
The major candies that will be affected by the ban are Pez Candy, Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum and Jelly Bellies. Any snacks and baked goods that are colored red could be banned if they use Red Dye 3, like Little Bites Party Cake Mini Muffins, red frosting and Maraschino cherries.
Red Dye 3, however, is not the primary red dye in foods. Red Dye 40 is more highly used and also raises concerns for many. With Red Dye 3 being banned, Red Dye 40 could follow. We may even see more dyes being banned in the future.
The ban on Red Dye 3, and possible Red Dye 40, is extremely necessary to Americans’ health. While many may believe that synthetic dyes are not harmful, there are many other options that are known to be completely safe that would be easy to switch to in order to guarantee that Americans and their health are being prioritized in a world full of toxic chemicals.
