The first reference I can remember to a commercial food-colouring being delisted by the government came years ago. That was Red Dye No. 2. Since then, the substance has become synonymous with ‘banned’. Now, Red Dye No. 3 is being ‘de-approved’…
Red Dye No. 3: Imparts a deep red colour, varying from ‘cherry’ in high
concentrations to magenta to bubblegum pink in lower saturations…
Many activists have been advocating for the banning of Red Dye No. 3 (RD3) for decades, citing it’s suspected role in elevating the risk of cancer. Now, that role has been proven more clearly in recent experiments using new technology. And RD3 has, indeed, been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What it’s about…
Ironically, banning the substance was a prominent plank in the election campaign run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, chosen and announced week before election day by then-candidate Donald Trump. And the outgoing administration’s FDA machine actually beat him to the punch, issuing it’s own ban just a few days before Trump was sworn in.
Red Dye No. 3 is just that, a cherry-red petrochemical food colouring previously used in everything from candy to cosmetics to pharmaceuticals to Cream Soda (see photo, top of page). It’s been in just about every red-coloured processed food you’ve eaten since No. 2 was banned. Especially artificially colourerd beverages such as sodas and fruit ‘drinks’.
The food colouring has also been under the official microscope since 2022 when a coalition of food safety groups petitioned the FDA to ban the substance.
Recent studies showed RD3 was clearly linked to elevated cancer risk in lab rats. Though not in hu-mans. But the FDA’s regulations state that, to be cleared for human use, substances must not ‘induce’ cancer in either rats or humans. Thus, the ban.
Industry reaction calm
“Food safety is the number one priority for U.S. confectionery companies, and we will continue to follow and comply with FDA’s guidance and safety standards,” the National Confectioners Association (NCA) said in a statement. “Our consumers and everyone in the food industry want and expect a strong FDA, and a consistent, science-based national regulatory framework.”
We’ll see how they like working with the Trump administration’s new Health and Food Czar…
Meanwhile, the industry has been anticipating eventualities up to and including a ban on all artificial colourings and flavourings it has been using in processed foods. For example, it’s pretty much been agreed between food colouring makers and users will switch to compounds from natural sources as an overall change is phased-in. Reds will be among the first colours changed over. In fact, some food colouring purveyors already testing or selling red dyes made from plants, such as beetroot.
My take
I’m all for getting rid of artificial food additives of all kinds – especially preservatives, which fall into a category all their own. The truth is, they’re 99 percent a marketing gimmick, to make junk foods more enticing to consumers. We can easily get along without them.
And, though the food safety advocates have had some the wind stolen from their sails, I hope they’ll keep up the pressure on RFK Jr. to pursue his declared crusade on issues such as food additives. And, perhaps, lay off others on which he appears seriously misinformed and/or misguided – such as drinking water fluoridation and vaccines.
~ Maggie J.