The Food and Drug Administration, commonly known as the FDA, has recently announced that the food dye Red No. 3 is now longer allowed to be used within foods in the United States.

Red No. 3 is a food dye additive that is commonly used in Nerds, Pez, Sweet Tarts, and many other popular sweet treats and foods.

On Jan. 15, 2025 the FDA sent out a formal statement saying that Red no. 3 would no longer be allowed to be included in foods and drugs within the United States. They used the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) to revoke the use of Red no. 3. The Delaney Clause states that the FDA has to ban food additives that have been shown to cause or induce cancers. Companies who use Red no. 3 have been given until Jan. 15, 2027 or Jan. 18, 2028 to remove Red no. 3 from their formulas.

In the past 35 years, it has been scientifically proven that Red no. 3 has a negative effect on the human body. There are three main medical problems: it can lead to disruptions in thyroid hormone regulation systems, it may promote thyroid tumor formation, and it can have toxic effects on the brain in multiple ways. There is also a possibility that it may cause cancer. It has taken 35 years to release any formal announcements or actions against Red no. 3, and there have been no statements as to why it took that long.

Here at Clover Hill it is important to remember the safety of the students and staff. Bringing awareness to the world around you and what is going on in it is so important. It is also important to protect yourself by eating foods that are safe for your body. Red no. 3 has been proven to hurt the people who consume it in the long run, and that is why it is so important to protect ourselves from Red no. 3. Many people do not even know the majority of the ingredients of the food they are eating and how it is affecting their body.