Summarised by Centrist
Red 3, a petroleum-based additive linked to cancer in animals and behavioural issues in children, may soon be banned in the United States.
Despite the US banning the substance in cosmetics since 1990, it remains a staple in over 3,000 food products, including Pez, Peeps, and Betty Crocker items.
Jim Jones, the US FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, told a Senate health committee the agency is preparing to act on a petition to revoke its approval, potentially removing the dye from the food supply.
Public figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have condemned the FDA for permitting harmful chemicals in foods, linking these substances to serious health conditions.
“There is simply no reason for this chemical to be in our food except to entice and mislead consumers,” stated US Congressman Frank Pallone in a recent letter to the FDA.
Pallone warned of the risks to children during the holiday season when colourful sweets flood the market. Public health advocates have long criticised the use of food dyes like red 3, which serve no nutritional purpose and only enhance visual appeal for marketing.
Editor’s note: In New Zealand, Red 3 (also known as E 127) remains legal to use in food products here. No equivalent regulatory actions have been proposed by New Zealand’s Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to ban or restrict its use.
