FDA plans to ban red food coloring
Celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels joins “Hannity” to discuss the possibility of the FDA banning red food dye.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially banned a red dye called Red 3 (erythrosine) from food, dietary supplements and ingested medications, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
According to the Associated Press, food manufacturers have until January 2027 to remove dyes from their products, while drug makers have until January 2028.
Food imported into the United States from other countries will also be subject to the new regulations.
Red food coloring could soon be banned as FDA reviews petition
“FDA is taking steps to revoke the authorization for use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and oral drugs,” Jim Jones, FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, said in a statement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially banned a red dye called Red 3, or erythrosine, from foods, dietary supplements, and ingested medications. (St. Petersburg)
“There is evidence that male laboratory rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3 develop cancer,” he continued. “Importantly, the mechanism by which FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans.”
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The synthetic dye, made from petroleum, is used as a coloring additive to give food and ingested medicines a “bright cherry red color,” according to an FDA online statement.
Food manufacturers have until January 2027 to remove dyes from their products, and pharmaceutical manufacturers have until January 2028. (St. Petersburg)
The petition to ban the dye cites the Delaney Clause, which says that government agencies cannot classify color additives as safe if they are found to cause cancer in humans or animals.
This dye was removed from cosmetics about 35 years ago due to possible cancer risks.
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“This is a welcome but long-awaited action from the FDA. It addresses the unsustainable dichotomy of Red 3 being banned in lipstick but allowed in candy. Eliminate heavy standards,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, director of the Center for Public Science. Interest, who led the petition effort, the Associated Press reported.
Nearly 3,000 foods have been shown to contain Red No. 3, according to FoodScore, a food database compiled by the Environmental Working Group. (St. Petersburg)
Dr. Mark Siegel, a professor of clinical medicine at New York University Langone Health and a Fox News senior medical analyst, praised the FDA’s ban.
“It’s been a long time,” he told FOX News Digital. “It’s been more than 30 years since it was banned from cosmetics in the United States due to evidence that it was carcinogenic when ingested in high doses in lab rats. What you put on your skin and what you put in your mouth should be consistent. It’s necessary.” ”
“You need to be consistent in what you put on your skin and what you put in your mouth.”
Siegel said he believes the FDA’s decision could have implications for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming new secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“They knew it was going to happen anyway under RFK Jr.,” he said. “It has already been banned or severely restricted in Australia, Japan and the European Union.”
One doctor said the food additive also “pushed children” into a diet of empty calories and ultra-processed foods. (St. Petersburg)
The food additive also “pushed kids” into a diet of empty calories and ultra-processed foods, Siegel added.
“It has also been linked to behavioral problems in children, including ADHD.”
Nearly 3,000 foods have been shown to contain Red No. 3, according to FoodScore, a food database compiled by the Environmental Working Group.
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The National Confectionery Association provided the following statement to Fox News Digital.
“Food safety is a top priority for U.S. confectionery companies, and we continue to follow and comply with FDA guidance and safety standards.”
A petition calling for Red No. 3 to be removed from foods, supplements and medicines was filed in 2022 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and 23 other organizations and scientists.
