FDA Bans Cancer-Linked Food Dye Ahead Of RFK Jr’s Confirmation Hearing

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday it will ban Red No. 3, a common artificial food dye linked to cancer.

The dye, which the FDA banned for cosmetics and topical drugs in 1990 after it was found to promote tumor growth in rats, is widely used in hundreds of products ranging from candies to ADHD medications. The move precedes the Senate’s decision on confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an opponent of food dyes, as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“Red No. 3 is a synthetic food dye that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color … Red No. 3 has been primarily used in certain food products, such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, and frostings and icings, as well as certain ingested drugs,” the FDA wrote in an official statement.

The decision follows a 2022 petition submitted by several health advocacy organizations, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, urging the agency to ban Red No. 3 based on studies linking the dye to cancer. The FDA stated that the dangers associated with Red No. 3 in rats are less concerning in humans.