Will RFK Jr. Ban Other Food Colors After Red Dye No. 3?

Earlier this year in January, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it is banning the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that gives food and beverages its bright red cherry color. Carcinogen was found in this dye, but what about the food colors?

Synthetic dyes: They are petroleum-based chemicals that do not occur in nature, this are made manually to "enhance the visual appeal" of the products. For now, nine dyes, including the Red dye No. 3 have been allowed in the US, whereas the other two colors are blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. Two more colors are permitted but only for rare use, these are Citrus Red 2 and Orange B.

Last year, California became the first state to prohibit six artificial food dyes in public school meals. This year, over a dozen state legislatures may consider bills to ban synthetic dyes in food, whether in school lunches or more broadly. In October, protesters urged WK Kellogg Co. to eliminate artificial dyes from cereals like Apple Jacks and Froot Loops. In fact, the recently confirmed US secretary of health and human services Robert F Kennedy Jr also promised to shift government's focus on other kinds of dyes so it could be banned across the nation. This is happening under his "Make American Healthy Again" campaign for the "MAHA moms".

“I was called a conspiracy theorist because I said that red dye caused cancer,” Kennedy said during his confirmation hearing. “Now, FDA has acknowledged that and banned it.”

What About The Alternatives?

Colors sure do make the food like better and enhances its appearance, but it does not have to put your health at risk. Thus the best alternative to this is natural colors. Some manufacturers, even outside of the state of California are using beet juice, carmine, a dye from insects or pigments from foods like purple sweet potato, radish and red cabbage to give the red color to their products.

But is it all safe? Not always, said Meghan Skidmore, a Sensient spokesperson: Natural dyes may be less stable than synthetic dyes and may be affected by factors including heat and acid levels.

Is there a way to avoid synthetic food colors?

Dyes are widely used in all and every food thus it is difficult to find foods that do not contain color additives, however, the best way to know is to look at the ingredients.

Experts say that if the ingredient list goes on and on that you do not even bother reading, chances are that the food has coloring in it.

Why did they ban the Red Dye No. 3?

The dye is used in many foods, including candy. cereals, cherries in fruit cocktails and strawberry-flavored milkshakes, notes the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group that petitioned FDA in 2022 to end its use.

As per the reports, more than 9,200 food items contain the dye, including many big companies, said CSPI. The data was collected on the based of Agricultural Department data. While Red Dye No. 3 has been banned, the FDA is not prohibiting any other artificial dyes, including Red No. 40, which has been linked to behavioral issues in children.