Biden FDA moves to ban toxic Red Dye No. 3 in food

In a significant move to protect public health, the Biden Food and Drug Administration announced today it will ban the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food.

This decision comes after years of advocacy from organizations led by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, as well as the Center for Food Safety, Environmental Working Group and a number of other public health groups and activists who petitioned the FDA

to take action on this harmful chemical in 2022.

Red 3 is known to cause cancer in animals and has been banned in cosmetics since 1990.

“We wouldn’t be celebrating this historic decision today without the relentless leadership of public health champions like Michael Jacobson and others who took up this fight decades ago on behalf of consumers,” said EWG President and co-Founder Ken Cook.

“We all owe a debt of gratitude to Michael and the other early leaders who pushed the FDA to remove toxic chemical ingredients from the nation’s food supply,” Cook said.

Jacobson, who co-founded CSPI

in 1971, has been a leading advocate in tackling the underlying causes of preventable diseases while championing a just and sustainable food system that makes healthy, nutritious options accessible to all. CSPI has remained at the forefront of these important efforts under the leadership of Dr. Peter Lurie.

Health concerns

Red 3 is a synthetic food colorant found in hundreds, if not thousands, of processed foods, particularly candy

and other sweets. The dye has been linked to a range of serious health concerns, particularly for children.

Recent research further underscores the dangers of this chemical dye in food. A 2021 study

by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that synthetic dyes like Red 3 are linked to a greater risk of behavioral difficulties in children, including decreased attention span and memory problems.

Red 3 has been singled out as a particularly harmful food dye because studies show it causes cancer in animals.

“Today’s action by the FDA marks a monumental victory for consumer health and safety,” said Cook. “For years, Red 3 remained in food products, despite growing evidence linking it to health problems, particularly in kids.

“This ban sends a strong message that protecting the health of Americans – especially vulnerable children – must always take priority over the narrow interests of the food industry.”

‘Much-needed step’

Vani Hari, author and activist a FoodBabe.com

, has petitioned Kellogg’s to remove all artificial food dyes from their cereal. She said, “Red No. 3 being allowed in our food for over 30 years, after being banned in cosmetics, is one of the greatest examples of how conflicts of interest have prevented the FDA from protecting the American people.”

Courtney Swan, M.S., an integrative nutritionist, food activist and founder of Realfoodology.com

, said, “It is unconscionable that it took the FDA decades to finally remove this toxic chemical from our food, despite knowing for years that it posed serious health risks.

“Today’s action by the White House is a much-needed step toward making our food safer and healthier for the American people,” Swan said. “However, this must be just the beginning. We now call on the FDA to take similar steps on other harmful chemicals still permitted in our food supply.

“Our health deserves nothing less than urgent, decisive action to protect us from unnecessary risks,” she added.

When the FDA restricted Red 3’s use in cosmetics in 1990, it cited evidence that high doses could cause cancer. But the chemical has remained in food products for all these years, continuing to pose a risk to consumers.

“Toxic chemical additives such as Red 3 are common in many foods, particularly candy and other sweets, putting millions of children at risk,” said EWG Senior Scientist Tasha Stoiber. “This widespread exposure has raised concerns about lasting behavioral difficulties, including ADHD.

“It’s essential to shield young children from harmful chemicals during these key stages of their development,” Stoiber added.

California takes action

The FDA action comes in the context of significant state-level progress tackling harmful food dyes and other additives.

In 2023, California enacted the California Food Safety Act, a groundbreaking law that bans four harmful chemicals, including Red 3, from food products manufactured and sold in the state starting in 2027. This marks the first state law in the U.S. to take comprehensive action against toxic chemicals in food.

EWG and the consumer advocates who successfully petitioned the FDA to ban Red 3 will continue to push for stronger federal and state regulation of food chemicals. It’s imperative to provide families across the U.S. with safer choices by ensuring all food products are free from toxic substances.

Consumers concerned about Red 3 and other potentially harmful chemicals can explore EWG’s Food Scores database, which provides nutrition, ingredient and processing details for over 80,000 products. More than 2,000 foods in the database contain Red 3.