On January 15th, 2025, the FDA announced a ban on red dye No. 3 from foods. Over 30 years ago, in 1990, the dye was banned from cosmetics like blush and lipstick after it was found to cause cancer in rats. It has also been banned in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand for years. So why has it finally been banned in the US now?
Since its FDA approval in 1969, red 3 has been widely used in candies, beverages, cereals, gelatin products, certain medications, and syrups. Evidence of the dye’s health risks has been accumulating over the decades, and other countries and certain states, such as California, have already taken steps to limit or ban it entirely.
The elephant in the room is the potential cancer risk: while there has been no proven link between red 3 and cancer in humans, there is substantial evidence to suggest it from animal studies.
Further studies have linked the dye with thyroid hormone regulation disruption. The thyroid produces hormones, which regulate growth, metabolism, reproduction, and the body’s responses to stress or injury, making it a very important organ. Red 3 inhibits its ability to absorb iodine, necessary to synthesize hormones, and blocks an enzyme that converts one hormone to another. The dye may also lead to thyroid disorders and tumors, as shown in studies with rats and pigs.
The dye also impacts the brain. Further studies on rats found that it increases oxidative stress (damaging tissues) and reduces the antioxidants that control oxidative stress (impairing communication between neurons). It has also been linked to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions.
The FDA has not cited direct evidence of red 3’s carcinogenic effect in humans but believes the animal studies to be sufficient grounds for its ban. As per the FDA’s mandate, corporations have until January of 2027 and 2028 to eliminate the dye from foods and drugs, respectively.
