The FDA has announced a ban on the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that gives food and drinks their bright red cherry color, due to its link to cancer in animals. The ban comes after a petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, urging the agency to end its use. Food manufacturers have until Jan. 15, 2027, to reformulate their products, with ingested drug companies given an additional year. Red Dye No. 3, made from petroleum and approved for use in foods in 1907, was found to be carcinogenic in male rats in the 1980s. The additive has already been banned or restricted in other countries. Some U.S. food manufacturers have already removed artificial dyes, including Red No. 3, from their products. There are concerns about artificial dyes affecting children’s behavior, but the FDA has determined no causal relationship between artificial dyes and hyperactivity in children. California and 10 other states had already taken action to ban the food dye prior to the FDA’s nationwide ban.
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