FDA announces ban on red dye no. 3. Here’s what to expect – and why some families are already avoiding the food colouring.

Food and Drug Administration announced on January 15 that it revokes authorization of the food dye known as red dye no. 3 – i.e found in certain ingested substances, gummies, ice cream cones, frostings, toasters and much more. The agency had reviewed a petition for prohibition the petroleum-based dye since 2022, with questions about the dye’s possible health effects growing in recent years.

Manufacturers using red dye no. 3 – also known as FD&C Red no. 3 – in foodstuffs have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate their product, and manufacturers who use the dye in ingested medicine have until January 18, 2028 to reformulate. Foods imported into the United States from countries where red dye no. 3 is still allowed, must also comply with the new American requirements.

Last October, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a first of its kind bill enacted by state legislatures which banned the use of red dye no. 3 – along with three other potentially harmful chemicals (potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil and propylparaben) commonly found in processed foods – in food and beverages sold in California. It marked the first time a state banned food additives allowed by the FDA.

Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, who authored the bill, clarified in a statement that “this law will not ban any food or product – it will require food companies to make minor changes to their recipes and switch to safer alternative ingredients that they already use in Europe and so many other places around the world.”

Although it will not come into force until 2027, California Food Safety Act is applauded by some parents who say that red food coloring no. 3 have already been banned in their own household. One is father-of-three Matt Parks, who tells Yahoo Life that he and his wife are trying their best to prevent their children from getting red dye no. 3. “We very strictly limit the amount of red dye that our children have.” he says, noting that they are especially careful with their younger daughter.

“We noticed that when she has red food coloring, her ability to regulate emotions is impaired,” he says. “She’s very easily agitated and upset – far more than usual. It’s gotten to the point where even she notices the change.” Parks says he has ADHD and notes that when he has products with red dye no. 3, he feels more irritable and agitated. “It’s not a cause of these symptoms, but it seems to be a trigger,” he says.

Father-of-two AJ Yarwood also says his family tries to avoid red dye no. 3. “When our kids consume products that contain red dye #3, they tend to become more hyperactive and have trouble focusing,” he tells Yahoo Life. “This can be especially challenging for our daughter, who already struggles with attention issues.”

Yarwood says his family has come up with a list of common products with the dye to avoid, and notes that the list keeps growing. “It’s frustrating to know that this dye is prohibited in cosmetics because of its harmful effects, but it is still used in everyday foods that everyone can consume,” he says.

Carrie Conrad, a mother of three, says her kids might have red food coloring once or twice a year for birthday parties, noting that “every time we do it, we regret it.” Conrad said her kids most recently had the dye in pink cotton candy at a Renaissance festival, and it didn’t end well. “My children lose control of themselves,” she says. “There’s screaming, running, rioting. The kids aren’t able to connect or register any safety rules. It’s pure chaos.”

It’s important to note that the claims about Red Dye No. 3 aren’t just anecdotal. The chemical has been linked to behavioral problems in children.

Jamie Alanan associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life that studies on Red Dye No. 3 are limited and only show an association — not that Red Dye No. 3 actually causes certain health problems or behaviors. But Alan says it’s important to consider this: “Red dye has no nutritional or positive health effects. There is only potential harm, although the jury is out on the amount of type of harm it may or may not cause.”

Alan adds: “From a health point of view, I can see the benefits” of banning the dye in food.

Dr. Daniel Ganjiana pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells Yahoo Life that he “loves” the idea of ​​banning red food dye. “Parents are aware that these food labels are getting longer, and they have a right to know the effect these foods can have on their children,” he says.

Ganjian also acknowledges that data on red dye no. 3 is limited, but points out that the data surrounding this ingredient is unlikely to become more robust. “It is not ethical to have children and expose them to red dye for the science of it, when animal testing show, it can hurt them,’ he says.

In its announcement, the FDA cited two studies linking cancer in male rats to “high levels” of red dye No. 3, but noted that exposure in humans “is typically much lower.” The FDA added: “Studies in other animals and humans did not show these effects; claims that the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested medicine endangers humans are not supported by the available scientific information.”

Ganjian says he has seen children act out after being given candy with red dye no. 3. “It’s not just the sugar,” he says. “It’s just better not to have this ingredient.”

If you are able, Alan recommends that you do your best to avoid red dye no. 3, either by choosing dye-free foods or those that use more natural color, such as beet extract. “I worry about parents who can’t easily access foods that are dye-free,” she says. “If your only options for food are foods that contain dye, by all means feed your children.”