‘A positive step toward safer food’: expert on FDA’s red dye ban

• Red 3, banned in cosmetics for 30 years, is still found in snacks consumed by millions

CHICAGO --- The Food and Drug Administration's decision today to ban the color additive Red 3 from food products is being welcomed as a long overdue move to address significant public health concerns says Dr. Melinda Ring, the director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician.

"Animal studies dating back to the 1980s demonstrated that high doses of this synthetic dye increased tumor risks," Ring said.

The dye, which is used some candies and snacks, has long been linked to cancer risks in rats. It was banned from cosmetics in 1990 but remains in some foods, supplements and oral medicines, such as cough syrup, despite decades of public health advocacy.

"This ban is a positive step toward safer food, especially for children, who are more likely to consume artificially colored snacks. Still, the decades-long delay underscores the need for more responsive regulatory processes when credible evidence of harm emerges," Ring said. "Continuing to prioritize science-based decisions will help build a healthier, more transparent food system."

Food manufacturers have until 2027 to phase out the dye from their products.

Ring also is a clinical associate professor of medicine and medical sciences at Feinberg. She is available to speak to media today from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and most of tomorrow about the implications of the FDA's decisions and the need for faster regulatory action when it comes to food safety.

Contact Ben Schamisso at [email protected] to arrange an interview.