Letter to FDA to request immediate action on Red No. 3

Red 3 lurks in the aisles of our grocery stores, even though the FDA has known it causes cancer for over 30 years. This synthetic color additive is found in foods you might expect – in Halloween candy and baked goods – and foods you may not, like saffron rice and even vegetarian bacon.  

Because it’s carcinogenic in animals, the FDA banned Red 3 from use in cosmetic products, like blush and lipstick, and drugs applied to the skin in 1990. Yet, over thirty years later, Red 3 is still FDA-approved for use in our foods.  

Some states are taking matters into their own hands in the face of FDA inaction. In 2023, California banned Red 3 and three other dangerous food chemicals. Other states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Missouri, are considering similar bans.  

As two years have passed since we filed our petition on FD&C Red No. 3 (Red 3) on November 15, 2022, CSPI urges the FDA to grant our color additive petition (Docket No. FDA-2023-N-0437) by immediately publishing a notice to delist the dye for use in foods, supplements, and ingested drugs. While the FDA confirmed receipt and posted our petition for public comment, the agency has yet to rule on our petition.