Why is the FDA slow to ban food additives?

A legal loophole lets things slide

FDA approved stamp
The FDA in the United States is slower to ban harmful food additives compared to other countries
(Image credit: Bet_Noire / Getty Images)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of Red Dye No.3 in foods and has given drug manufacturers until Jan. 18, 2028, and food manufacturers until Jan. 15, 2027, to reformulate their products to remove it. This comes decades after the dye was banned from use in cosmetics and externally applied drugs in 1990. Red Dye No.3 has also already been banned for most uses in food products in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

Red Dye No. 3 is a "color additive made from petroleum," which "could previously be used in foods in small amounts as approved by the FDA on a per-case basis," said Forbes. It was banned in cosmetics after being linked to cancer in rats. However, the dye has been used in candy, baked goods and medications in trace amounts. Scientists have been pushing for a ban in food for decades, and California became the first state to ban it, with 10 other states introducing legislation to do so.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.