Red Dye No. 3 banned by FDA; expert discusses risks
Updated: 4:59 PM EST Jan 15, 2025
APP. FIVE ON YOUR HEALTH TONIGHT, THERE’S A FEDERAL BAN ON RED DYE. NUMBER THREE, THAT’S THE INGREDIENT THAT CREATES A BRIGHT CHERRY RED COLOR WHEN IT’S ADDED TO FOOD AND TO DRINKS AND TO DRUGS. BUT THE FDA IS NOW SAYING IT MAY RAISE THE RISK OF CANCER. HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS IS DOCTOR ANDREAS KLEIN, THE INTERIM CHAIR OF HEMATOLOGY ONCOLOGY AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. GREAT. GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I ADMITTEDLY USE THIS IN MY COOKING FOR ONE SPECIFIC ITEM. YOU’VE READ THE RESEARCH ABOUT FOOD DYES. IT’S JUST NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE BAN WILL FACE LEGAL CHALLENGES FROM THE FOOD MANUFACTURERS, BECAUSE EVIDENCE HASN’T DETERMINED THAT DYES CAUSE CANCER WHEN CONSUMED BY PEOPLE. DO YOU THINK THE FDA MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TODAY? I THINK THE FDA WAS WAS OBLIGED TO MAKE THIS DECISION. THERE’S A STIPULATION IN THE FOOD AND COSMETIC ACT, WHICH SAYS THAT THE FDA IS NOT ALLOWED TO AUTHORIZE FOOD ADDITIVES OR OTHER ADDITIVES THAT ARE THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO CAUSE CANCER IN EITHER HUMANS OR IN ANIMALS. AND THIS CERTAINLY FITS APPEARS TO FIT THIS. THERE IS A STUDY FROM THE 1980S WITH A RATS WHO DEVELOPED CANCER AFTER BEING FED, ALBEIT A LARGE AMOUNT OF THIS RED DYE. NUMBER THREE, ENOUGH OF IT, APPARENTLY TO TURN THEM RED, BUT NONETHELESS, CANCER WAS DEMONSTRATED AND THE FDA NEEDS TO REMOVE THAT FROM OUR FOOD AND COSMETICS. ARE THERE SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT OTHER COLOR ADDITIVES? BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM OUT THERE. IT’S REALLY IT’S REALLY HARD TO KNOW. THERE’S AT LEAST 40 OF THEM AT LEAST ARE REGISTERED IN THE EUROPEAN DATA SET. THERE ARE CERTAINLY JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE LOOKING VERY CAREFULLY AT THIS. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND EUROPEAN REGULATORS, AS EXAMPLES. SO THE FDA SAYS THIS COULD TAKE A YEAR OR MORE TO REMOVE RED DYE NUMBER THREE FROM THE SUPPLY CHAIN. SO I ASK YOU THIS QUESTION. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS CERTAINLY GIVES YOU PAUSE. AND YOU THINK ABOUT IT. I DO MAKE THIS RED VELVET CAKE THAT MY MOTHER MADE FOR FOR MY SISTER AND I WHEN WE WERE LITTLE GIRLS, AND WE MADE IT FOR OUR FAMILIES. DO YOU DO WE AVOID IT NOW? IS IS IT OVER? THAT’S WHERE MY APPETITE WENT RIGHT AWAY AS WELL. AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE PRUDENT. WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE LABELS WHERE WE CAN AND TRY TO MAKE SOME CHOICES TO AVOID SOME OF THESE ADDITIVES AS WE’RE ABLE TO. I THINK IF YOU BUT I WOULD JUST ALSO GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, TO BASICS IF THE HARD STUFF IS WHAT GETS US PREVENTS CANCER, AVOIDING SMOKING, AVOIDING ALCOHOL AND DOING THE SCREENING TO LOOK FOR EARLY STEPS. YEAH, THAT’S A GREAT POINT. THAT’S A GREAT POINT. IT’S THE IT’S THE LARGER PICTURE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND THIS THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO. TO DOCTO
Red Dye No. 3 banned by FDA; expert discusses risks
Updated: 4:59 PM EST Jan 15, 2025
The FDA has banned Red Dye No. 3, citing cancer risk concerns. The removal from the supply chain may take over a year, raising questions about other additives. Dr. Andreas Klein, the interim chair of hematology oncology at Tufts Medical Center, discusses the risks.
The FDA has banned Red Dye No. 3, citing cancer risk concerns. The removal from the supply chain may take over a year, raising questions about other additives.
Dr. Andreas Klein, the interim chair of hematology oncology at Tufts Medical Center, discusses the risks.
