FDA bans red food dye due to potential cancer risk | LiveNOW from FOX

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially banned red dye — called Red 3, or Erythrosine — from foods, dietary supplements and ingested medicines, as reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Food manufacturers must remove the dye from their products by January 2027, while drug manufacturers will have until January 2028 to do so, AP stated.

Any foods imported into the U.S. from other countries will also be subject to the new regulation.

"The FDA is taking action that will remove the authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs," said Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, in a statement.

"Evidence shows cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No.3," he continued. "Importantly, the way that FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans."

The synthetic dye, which is made from petroleum, is used as a color additive in food and ingested drugs to give them a "bright cherry-red color," according to an online statement from the FDA.

Dr. Peter Lurie joins LiveNOW's Christina Evans to discuss.

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