The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it would be banning Red Dye No. 3, a cancer-causing synthetic dye that has already been banned in numerous countries across the globe.
Red Dye No. 3, which is made from petroleum and has been approved for use in foods since 1907, is used in thousands of different food items — especially candy, cereal, and drinks like carbonated beverages and cocktails. This dangerous dye has been linked to cancer in animals, which likely means that it will cause the same cancer in humans. The FDA has ordered manufacturers to remove Red Dye No. 3 from all food and beverage products by January 15, 2027, while dietary supplement companies will be required to remove the dye by January 15, 2028, according to NBC News.
The fact that Red Dye No. 3 has been allowed to be used in foods and beverages for this long is shocking and horrific, as the U.S. previously banned it from being used in cosmetics back in 1990 after a study conducted in the 1980s revealed that rats exposed to the dye in high doses developed tumors. If it wasn’t safe to be used on the skin, how is it possible that the FDA thought it was still okay to be consumed?
The dye has also been banned in Australia, Japan, and numerous European countries, but that apparently wasn’t enough for the FDA until now.
“The FDA cannot authorize a food additive or color additive if it has been found to cause cancer in humans or animals,” said Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy director for human foods. “Evidence shows cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3.”
It appears that the decision is a direct result of President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate former Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, as Kennedy has repeatedly vowed to pressure corporations to stop using these dangerous chemicals in our food.
MAHA is WINNING! 🔥
Trump and RFK Jr. haven’t even taken office yet—but the FDA just BANNED artificial dye Red 3 from food products and drugs.
By January 2027, Red 3 will be eliminated from America’s food and drug supply.
The FDA cited the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food,… pic.twitter.com/0WEaC0WgQI
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) January 15, 2025
“The first thing I’d do isn’t going to cost you anything because I’m just gonna tell the cereal companies, take all the dyes out of their food,” Kennedy revealed while campaigning for Trump.
Kennedy has been promoting his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda for some time now, and will have a confirmation hearing in the Senate in the coming weeks, with reports indicating that he may face a tough battle to be confirmed to his position — as he has made an enemy of the Democrats for leaving the party, and some Republicans are skeptical about confirming a nominee who still holds many left-leaning views.
Meanwhile, Red Dye No. 3 is not the only chemical that Kennedy is planning to ban. According to The Daily Wire, “Kennedy’s comments on food dyes suggest the incoming Trump administration would go beyond merely banning Red Dye No. 3 and also prevent other dyes, such as Red 40 and Blue 1, from being used in food and drinks in the U.S.”
JUST IN: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of Red Dye No. 3, which is used in thousands of food products and is made from petroleum.
Red Dye No. 3 has been linked to cancer in animals. The dye give beverages and foods a bright red cherry color.
“The dye… pic.twitter.com/m0OcXyc2zA
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 15, 2025