Why is Red Dye #3 still being used in our food?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will miss another deadline to get Red Dye #3 out of our food — even though we’ve known for decades the chemical is linked to cancer.

If we want our decision-makers to address this serious health threat, we need to tell them to act now.

How bad is Red Dye #3?

In 2021 alone, the food and drug industries used more than 200,000 pounds of Red Dye #3. Nearly 3,000 brand-name food products contain the additive — from Halloween candy and various other fruit-flavored treats to PediaSure’s Grow & Gain Kids’ Ready-to-Drink strawberry shake.

That’s a problem because there’s a known link between Red 3 and cancer in lab animal tests. And in fact, the FDA already banned Red 3 for use in externally applied drugs and cosmetics, all the way back in 1990.

So why the decades-long delay in getting this toxic chemical out of our food products? Lobbying by industry trade groups is a major factor — but we can still win protections for our families against Red Dye #3 by making sure the FDA hears the public’s voice.

The FDA must act on Red 3

Since 1960, our nation’s food laws have required the FDA to not approve, or remove from approval, any food additives that cause cancer in humans or animals.

It’s long past time for the FDA to do its job and get toxic Red 3 out of our food — and your voice will be crucial to making sure the FDA hears this call loud and clear.

Tell the FDA: Remove Red 3 from the list of approved color additives in foods, dietary supplements and oral medicines.