Red 3 dye ban: You might not be able to buy these foods much longer, including Nesquik and red velvet cake

Red dye No. 3 was banned by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on Wednesday, January 15.

A number of well-known companies who sell food items that include FD&C Red No. 3 will have until January 15, 2027, or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their goods or cease sales.

After a petition for an addition was filed in 2022, the use of red dye in food and consumed medications is prohibited.

The Delaney Clause, which was implemented in 1960 as part of the Color Additives Amendment to the FD&C Act, allows the FDA to prohibit the use of food additives or color additives if they have the potential to cause cancer in humans or animals.Two investigations on Red 3 revealed that male rats exposed to elevated Red 3 levels developed cancer.

According to other research, the dye does not cause cancer in people or other animals in the same manner as it did in these male rats. Therefore, the FDA states that the scientific data does not support assertions that FD&C Red No. 3 in food and swallowed medications puts individuals at danger.

Since many brands have shifted to Red 40, it is no longer usual to find Red 3 in most foods. It is still used as a component in some well-known cuisines, though.

These include of well-known companies that sell certain candies, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, frostings, and icings, as well as several medications that give food a vivid cherry-red color.