The HHS Secretary nominee has called for improvements in nutritional guidance and stricter criteria for American food.
The Food and Drug Administration is moving to ban erythrosine, aka FD&C Red No. 3, as an ingestible dye derived from petroleum. Already banned in the European Union, the U.K., and most of Asia and Australia, it was removed from U.S. skin products in the 1990s, but its authorization as a food coloring was not changed.
The FDA has received petitions from consumers and the House of Representatives which have been under review. Several synthetic dyes approved by the agency have been researched as having potential health risks, but Red No. 3 is viewed as the worst of the nine.
The dye is reportedly present in thousands of foods, supplements, and medications, so the FDA will take a phased approach to its removal. Food manufacturers must eliminate the dye by January 15, 2027, while drug makers have until January 18, 2028, to reformulate.
Incoming Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has expressed the intention to ban the substance.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For FDA officials as they review current authorizations and update approvals based on current research.
- For HHS secretary nominee Robert Kennedy to be discerning as he goes through the confirmation process.
Sources: Fox News, Food and Drug Administration, RedState
