By Breitbart News Network | Created at 2024-12-08 04:45:22 | Updated at 2024-12-23 17:53:11
2 weeks ago
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may possibly move to ban artificial red food dye from foods and drinks in “the next few weeks,” according to a report.
Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, explained during a Senate meeting on Thursday that the FDA would be deciding on whether or not to ban Red No. 3 in response to a petition filed, NBC News reported.
Red No. 3 is described as being a “color additive made from petroleum that gives foods and drinks a bright cherry-red color,” according to the FDA.
“With Red 3, we have a petition in front of us to revoke the authorization board, and we’re hopeful that in the next few weeks we’ll be acting on that petition,” Jones said.
In October 2023, California became the first state to ban Red No. 3, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and -propylparaben from food and drinks, according to NPR.
NPR noted while the FDA previously “banned the use of red dye 3 in cosmetics in 1990 after evidence showed it caused cancer in lab animals,” the usage of Red N0. 3 in food and drinks has not been prohibited by the government:
The Food and Drug Administration banned the use of red dye 3 in cosmetics in 1990 after evidence showed it caused cancer in lab animals. But the government hasn’t prohibited its use in food, and it’s an ingredient in candies such as Brach’s candy corn and Pez. Brominated vegetable oil and potassium bromate have also been associated with harmful effects on the respiratory and nervous systems, while propylparaben may negatively impact reproductive health.
According to the FDA, there are “nine certified color additives” which have been approved to be used in food. The food dyes include; FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Yellow No. 6.
In a press release from House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) on December 5, Pallone called for the FDA “to take immediate action to prevent” the usage of Red No. 3 in “products the agency regulates.”
The press release from Pallone noted that Red No. 3 is “chemically known as Erythrosine,” which is “a known animal carcinogen and has been shown to have lifelong health consequences for children.”
“There is simply no reason for this chemical to be in our food except to entice and mislead consumers by changing the color of their food so it looks more appealing,” Pallone said in a statement. “With the holiday season in full swing where sweet treats are abundant, it is frightening that this chemical remains hidden in these foods that we and our children are eating.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was picked by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has vowed to get rid of corruption in government agencies, and to Make America Healthy Again.
