The FDA banned the use of Red No. 3 dye in food products Wednesday morning, citing concerns about the ingredient’s link to health risks particularly in children.
The dye is frequently used in food products, including supplements, candy and drinks. Manufacturers who use Red 3 in food products will have until Jan. 15, 2027, to reformulate their products to exclude the dye. And companies who use the dye in ingested drugs will need to update their products by Jan. 18, 2028.
Foods imported into the U.S. will also need to comply with the ban, the FDA said.
Jim Jones, deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, said in a statement that the decision came after a 2022 petition challenged the use of Red 3 in foods based on the so-called Delaney Clause, which says the FDA cannot authorize a food additive if it has been found to cause cancer in humans or animals.
