The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a ban on Red Dye 3, January 15. Found in candies, baked goods, and beverages, Red Dye 3 can cause damage to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and disrupt key biological processes in animal studies, raising serious health concerns. This ban applies to food and beverages but excludes cosmetics and drugs containing the dye. Companies have until January 2027 to comply, marking a significant shift in regulatory standards for food safety, according to The New York Times.
Red 3 damages DNA in lab settings and living organisms, signaling its potential to cause long-term cellular harm. In mice, consuming Red 3 alongside a high-fat diet disrupts gut microbiota balance, leading to dysbiosis, a condition linked to various health issues. Furthermore, Red 3 induces inflammation in the distal colon and rectum of mice, which researchers use as a model for studying colorectal health. Red 3 also interferes with critical biological pathways associated with early-onset colorectal cancer, sparking urgent calls for reevaluating its safety in consumer products, according to nih.gov.
The FDA’s effort to ban the dye has been in the works for decades. The first red flag appeared in the 1980s when studies showed that rats develop tumors after consuming Red 3, according to nbcnews.com. United States (US) consumers have eagerly anticipated this ban, as it diminishes the ability for companies to use the toxin in their foods. Ms. Melanie Benesh, the Vice President for Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocated for the ban of Red 3, discussed the significance of this new regulation.
“This is a big win for consumers, that this cancer-causing chemical is finally going to be out of the food supply,” Ms. Benesh said, according to nbcnews.com. “It is long overdue. The FDA, I think, is feeling that pressure from consumers who are worried about what is in their food. This is certainly an important positive step forward.”
In 1990, the FDA prohibited the use of Red 3 in cosmetics due to cancer concerns, but it remained legal in food and beverages, according to nbcnews.com. Over the last decades, Red 3 has been prevalent in popular products like Peeps marshmallows and Skittles, according to The New York Times.
The European Union (EU) enforces stricter safety standards, including mandatory warnings on products containing specific artificial colors, whereas the US has historically been slower to restrict these chemicals. The FDA’s ban on Red 3 is a delayed response to an immersion of decade-long scientific evidence and growing consumer advocacy for safer food products, according to The New York Times. Dr. Peter Lurie, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) President, commented on how the ban represents the culmination of years of work.
“At long last, the FDA is ending the regulatory paradox of Red 3 being illegal for use in lipstick, but perfectly legal to feed to children in the form of candy,” Dr. Lurie said, according to nbcnews.com. “It removes an unnecessary hazard from the American food supply, and we welcome that action, even though it should have occurred more than three decades ago.”
Featured Image by Maddy Hartnett ’25
