FDA Bans Controversial Food Dye: What This Means for Consumers

FDA Bans Controversial Food Dye: What This Means for Consumers

FDA finally bans Red No. 3 from foods and drugs, but is it too little too late?

At a Glance

  • FDA bans Red No. 3 food coloring due to cancer risks in animals
  • Ban takes effect for foods by 2027 and ingested drugs by 2028
  • Over 2,800 food items and several medications affected
  • Critics argue the ban is long overdue, while some defend its safety

FDA’s Long-Awaited Ban on Red No. 3: A Victory for Consumer Safety or Regulatory Overreach?

Well, folks, it looks like the Food and Drug Administration has finally decided to pull the plug on Red No. 3, that vibrant little food coloring that’s been jazzing up our candies, gums, and pastries since 1907. After years of hemming and hawing, the FDA has declared this petroleum-based dye persona non grata in our food supply. But hold onto your hats, because this ban won’t take full effect until 2027 for foods and 2028 for drugs. Talk about government efficiency at its finest!

Now, you might be wondering why it took the FDA over three decades to ban this dye from our food when they already nixed it from cosmetics back in 1990. It’s a classic case of bureaucratic foot-dragging that would make even a sloth look speedy. The FDA claims they’re acting on evidence that Red No. 3 causes cancer in lab rats, but they’re quick to assure us that it’s perfectly safe for humans. Because apparently, we’re so different from rats that what gives them cancer is just a tasty treat for us.

The Nanny State Strikes Again: Protecting Us from the Terrifying Menace of Red Candy

Let’s break this down, shall we? The FDA is banning a food coloring that’s been in use for over a century because it might, possibly, potentially cause cancer in humans if we consume it at levels that no sane person ever would. Meanwhile, they’re giving food manufacturers until 2027 to phase it out. That’s right, folks – the deadly menace of Red No. 3 is so urgent that we can keep right on eating it for another two years!

“This is a welcome, but long overdue, action from the FDA: removing the unsustainable double standard in which Red 3 was banned from lipstick but permitted in candy,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, director of the group Center for Science in the Public Interest, which led the petition effort.

Oh, thank goodness for Dr. Lurie and his crusade against the scourge of red candy! Heaven forbid we have a “double standard” where our lipstick is safer than our lollipops. Because clearly, that’s the pressing issue of our time, not skyrocketing crime rates, a porous southern border, or an economy that’s circling the drain faster than Red No. 3 down a laboratory sink.

The Real Victims: Children and Their Beloved Red Treats

But wait, there’s more! According to the FDA’s own data, children aged 2 to 5 consume about twice as much Red No. 3 per body weight compared to the general population. So, while we’re busy protecting the kiddos from this oh-so-deadly dye, we’re also about to crush their little hearts by taking away their favorite red candies, juices, and snacks. Because nothing says “we care about children” quite like sucking the joy out of their favorite treats, right?

“There’s a reasonable suspicion that food dyes may be harmful, at least for some kids”

Oh, well, if there’s a “reasonable suspicion,” by all means, let’s upend an entire industry! Never mind that the FDA itself admits the cancer mechanism in rats doesn’t occur in humans. Let’s not let pesky facts get in the way of a good old-fashioned moral panic.

The Bottom Line: Another Day, Another Overreach

In the end, this ban on Red No. 3 is just another example of government overreach masquerading as public health policy. It’s a solution in search of a problem, driven more by activist pressure than by sound science. And while the FDA pats itself on the back for this “bold” move, real issues that affect Americans’ health and safety go unaddressed.

So, enjoy your red candies while you can, folks. Because in the brave new world of 2027, everything will be safe, bland, and probably a lovely shade of government-approved beige. But hey, at least we’ll all be protected from the terrifying specter of red food coloring. God bless America, land of the free and home of the increasingly ridiculous regulations.

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