By Gabriela Vidal
Updated on: January 16, 2025 / 7:24 AM MST / CBS Colorado
The Food and Drug Administration has revoked Red 3’s authorization to be added to foods, over concerns about how the food coloring dye has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. This comes 35 years after it was banned in cosmetics like lipstick. Now Colorado parents and health experts are expressing support for the decision.
The synthetic dye gives food and drinks a bright red cherry color and has been linked to cancer since the 1990s.
The FDA has moved to ban Red 3 from food and drinks. CBS
It’s Thornton resident Jessica Gillen’s lifelong passion for baking that has since translated into a business in the last three years.
“I’ve loved baking since I was a teenager,” said Gillen.
It’s called Perfectly Sweet Cookies. Like many other bakers, Gillen’s creations are often made with a little bit of help from artificial dyes like Red 3, a product found in items like candies, desserts, sprinkles, and even some medications.
“It is something that’s been discussed whether it’s safe for human consumption or not,” said Shireen Banerji, Managing Director and Clinical Toxicologist at Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Safety.
On Wednesday, the FDA announced a ban on Red 3 from store shelves in response to animal testing studies linking the artificial dye to cancer.
Perfectly Sweet Cookies
“It seems like animal studies have found that there may be an association with cancer in male rats, but there is no association found in humans,” said Banerji.
Manufacturers will have until January 2027 to reformulate their foods containing Red 3 and until January 2028 for ingested drugs containing Red 3. In the meantime, Banerji assures that these products can still be consumed in moderation.
“People have been consuming these for decades and it’s just a matter of well if you’re going to give your child one every day, maybe give it once a week, and if you want to throw them out, throw them out,” she said.
For bakers like Gillen, she is already working with her family on eating foods without artificial dyes.
“We’re excited for it,” she said.
She is equally excited to welcome the challenge of removing the use of all artificial dyes on her baked goods over time, as well.
“Now going forward, I pretty much have to relearn how to color my icing,” said Gillen. “It’s a learning curve.”
