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By Aila Slisco
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With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considering a new ban on red food dye, an already short list of FDA-approved dyes could soon shrink further.
Jim Jones, the FDA's deputy commissioner for human foods, said during a U.S. Senate hearing last week that the agency was "hopeful" about "acting on" a petition to ban Red 3, also known as erythrosine, over concerns that the dye may cause health issues including hyperactivity in children.
While the FDA still considers Red 3 safe for consumption in approved amounts and it is unclear whether a full ban will be enacted, some U.S. states have moved to ban the dye and others on their own.
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The FDA at the moment only approves of the following seven synthetic food dyes: Red 3, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Green 3. Several others have been banned over the years due to adverse health effects and other issues.
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Newsweek reached out for comment to the FDA via email on Thursday night.
Here are some of the notable synthetic food dyes that have already been banned by the FDA:
- Red 2: Also known as amaranth, Red 2 was banned by the FDA in 1976 after a study linked the dye to cancer. However, the link to cancer has been disputed and it is unclear that the dye poses any significant risk to humans. Red 2 remains a legal food additive in many other countries, including Canada.
- Yellow 1, 2, 3 and 4: Yellow 1 and 2 were banned in 1959 for causing "intestinal lesions at high doses," while Yellow 3 and 4 were banned in the same year for potentially causing heart damage, according to watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
- Red 1 was banned in 1961 after researchers discovered a link to liver cancer.
- Red 4 was banned by the FDA in 1976 because consuming "high levels" of the dye was found to cause a "damaged adrenal cortex" in dogs, according to CSPI.
- Red 32 was banned in 1956 due to research that suggested it could cause organ damage and cancer. However, the dye continues to be used as "Citrus Red 2" in very small amounts to color the outside of oranges.
- Violet 1: The dye, which was used to stamp beef inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was banned by the FDA in 1973 after studies determined that it caused cancer.
- Orange 1 was commonly used as a dye for candy but was banned in 1956 after it was found to cause serious gastrointestinal issues in children.
- Green 1: The dye was banned in 1965 after research suggested that it could cause liver cancer.
A petition to ban Red 3 in cosmetics and topical drugs due to carcinogenic effects in animals was rejected by the FDA in 1990, with the agency reasoning that the same effects do not "occur in humans" and that studies on other animals "have limited relevance to humans."
California banned Red 3 last year and moved to a total prohibition on synthetic food dyes when Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 this year.
At least 10 other states are in the process of banning Red 3 and other synthetic food dyes.
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