The dye used in products like bubblegum and candy was approved over 50 years ago
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that it will ban Red No. 3, a synthetic dye linked to cancer in male lab rats. It is often used in products like bubblegum, candy, and some cough syrups and was approved over 50 years ago.
The dye has been in use for over 50 years and remains in more than 9,200 food items, including candies and cereals. It gives the product a bright red color.
The decision follows a 2022 petition by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Under the Delaney Clause, the FDA mandates that the dye be removed from food products by 2027.
The FDA forbade the use of the dye in cosmetics in 1990 due to studies linking it to cancer in rats. However, the department allowed the use of the coloring in food items, claiming that the tests on rats did not conclusively show that it caused cancer in humans.
California and 10 other states have already banned the dye, and countries such as Japan and Australia have imposed restrictions.