Commonly used in foods, Red Dye Number Three was recently banned in the United States due to the cancerous effects found in this type of food dye. More than 30 years ago scientists from the FDA found that high amounts of Red Dye Number Three can cause cancer. Years ago, this dye was banned yet it was not taken seriously therefore it was still used. This subject was more recently discussed, and it was decided that it would be banned in foods again.
30 years ago, when the FDA found that red dye number three causes cancer in animals, they put a ban on it. Unfortunately, food organizations did not take this ban seriously and continued producing foods with red dye number three. There are many other food dyes very similar to red dye number three. When red dye number three first got banned, It was hard to keep this dye out of things because it easily was mistaken for red dye number 40. The one distinct thing about the dyes is the base compound. red dye number three has an iodine base. Red dye number three is the only dye that has this type of base therefore, if the correct test were run, this would’ve been very easy to pick out. Thomas Galligan, Principal Scientist for Food Additives says, “In 32 years, there’s millions and millions of children who have been exposed to this chemical who didn’t need to be.”
As of January 15, 2025, the FDA has renewed the ban for red dye number three. This time they claim there will be more steps taken to reduce the amount of red dye that is included in foods around us.
