Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration The approval for Dye Red No. 3 will be revoked.used in a variety of foods and medicines. The artificial dye, made from petroleum and found to cause cancer in rats, was removed in response to a 2022 petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest and other advocacy groups.
Cherry red food coloring is found in foods such as candy, maraschino cherries, and strawberry-flavored milk drinks, and in medicines such as cough syrup. Manufacturers of food and ingestible medicines are required to remove dyes from their products by January 15, 2027 and January 18, 2028, respectively.
Food safety activists have raised concerns about possible carcinogenicity in humans and some concerns that similar dyes may contribute to behavioral problems in children, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Citing evidence of this, the government has been calling for the removal of Red No.
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scientific american We spoke to experts to find out why this red dye is banned, how much exposure can be harmful, and how it compares to other food colorings.
Which red dyes are prohibited?
The official name is Red No. 3.
What foods and medicines contains it?
Found in candy, fruit juices, snack foods, maraschino cherries, and strawberry-flavored milk. It is also found in some medicines, such as cough syrups.
Why was it banned?
Male rats developed thyroid tumors after being exposed to high levels of the dye in a laboratory study. But the FDA says rats develop cancer through a hormonal mechanism that does not occur in humans, and studies in humans and other animals have not shown similar effects. Nevertheless, the dye was removed under Delaney Claus Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that prohibits FDA approval of food or coloring agents found to cause cancer in humans. or animal.
Concerns have also been raised that some other artificial dyes, including another red dye called Red No. 40, may contribute to hyperactivity disorder in children.
Why did it take so long for the United States to ban this compound from food?
The FDA has banned the use of Red No. 3 in cosmetics and topical drugs since 1990. The European Union banned the use of dyes in food (with the exception of cocktail cherries) in 1994 and will ban them in 2023. California has banned In the same way.
“The FDA has very large powers and has primarily focused on pharmaceuticals. In the food area, it has focused on food safety with a particular look at infectious diseases such as: . [Escherichia coli infection]” Sheela Satyanarayana“There are holes and gaps in food related to additives, environmental exposures, and contaminants,” said Dr. Pediatrics, an adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. safety.”
The FDA under the Biden administration recently created new rules. Food Chemical Safety Office. “We hope that the new office will allow us to assess multiple different exposures, from food additives to contaminants, in a more comprehensive way,” Satyanarayana says.
Red No. 3 is also found in some cough medicines.
Food, Drink and Diet/Mark Sykes/Alamy Stock Photo
How much of this red dye can be harmful?
A related study appears to have exposed rats to much higher doses of dye than humans would normally ingest. It is very difficult to conduct studies on toxic doses in humans because it is unethical to conduct randomized controlled trials in which people are given foods containing large amounts of certain additives. Most human studies on food composition are epidemiological and require people to remember what foods they ate and how much, which is notoriously unreliable.
according to the doctor melinda ringDirector, Osher Center for Integrative Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Tolerable daily intake of Red No. 3 Up to 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. “Based on typical concentrations, this equates to approximately 12 red gummy bears in children and 36 red gummy bears in adults,” Ring wrote in an email. scientific american. “However, research shows that cumulative exposure to toxins can have additive effects, and that it is safer to avoid synthetic dyes altogether than to consume ‘acceptable’ amounts.” is shown.”
Do other artificial food colors also pose health risks?
Red No. 3 may be one of the most well-studied dyes, but other dyes such as Red No. 40 have also been associated with health concerns. Some studies have shown that red dye and Increased risk of behavioral disorders ADHD etc.
Now that Red No. 3 has been banned, it will be interesting to see if the FDA bans some of these other dyes, said U of A, Associate Professor of Medical Oncology and Director of Lifestyle Medicine, Prevention and Digital Health at U of A says Tracy Crane. Miller School of Medicine in Miami.
Should I avoid eating foods that contain artificial colors?
In general, it’s best not to consume large amounts of foods or medicines that contain artificial colors. “I always tell people [to consume] Be modest,” says Crane. “What I tell people is, ‘It’s much better not to put artificial substances in your body.’ If that color isn’t created by nature, it’s probably synthetic.” Instead, beets, carrots, etc. There are safer natural alternatives, such as , and even dyes made from insects.
One of the problems with foods containing artificial colors is that they often try to target children by using bright, cheerful colors. “We need to change our expectations of what food should be like,” Crane says.
And it’s not just artificial dyes that can be harmful. Many foods containing these dyes are also high in sugar. “From a cancer prevention perspective, it is recommended that less than 10 percent of calories come from added sugar,” they write. hannah maneraShe, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine, issued an emailed statement. scientific american.
Many of these foods are also ultra-processed, and some studies have linked this category of foods to a variety of illnesses and health problems. “By choosing whole, unprocessed foods or carefully reading ingredient labels, consumers can reduce their exposure to synthetic dyes and other environmental toxins while supporting a cleaner, safer food supply.” says Ring.
