SILVER SPRING, Md. — Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food, beverages and ingested drugs.
The dye is used in thousands of foods, including candy, cereals, cherries in fruit cocktails, strawberry-flavoured milkshakes and more. Red No. 3 is already banned or severely restricted in places outside of the U.S., including Australia, Japan and countries in the European Union. Manufacturers using red dye No.3 have until Jan. 15, 2027 for food and Jan. 18, 2028 for drugs, to re-formulate their products. Foods imported into the U.S. also must comply with these new requirements.
