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The FDA today has issued an order today that will ban Red No. 3 from food products and ingested drugs. The dye, which was approved to use in 1907, has been banned in cosmetics and topical drugs since 1990 over evidence that it can cause cancer. Its use in food is already banned or restricted in Australia, Japan and countries in the EU. Red No. 3. is commonly found in candy, gum, and cookies, including Brach’s candy corn, Betty Crocker sprinkles, and strawberry Ensure. Food manufacturers will have until January 15, 2027 to remove it from all products, while makers...

Long-term consumption of Allura Red food dye can be a potential trigger of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, says Waliul Khan. Researchers using experimental animal models of IBD found that continual exposure to Allura Red AC harms gut health and promotes inflammation. The dye directly disrupts gut barrier function and increases the production of serotonin, a hormone/neurotransmitter found in the gut, which subsequently alters gut microbiota composition leading to increased susceptibility to colitis. Khan said Allura Red (also called FD&C Red 40 and Food Red 17), is a common ingredient in candies, soft drinks, dairy products...

A semi-truck driver hauling red dye failed to stop despite knowing the liquid was leaking onto the roadway and splashing cars for miles through the Portland area on Saturday night, authorities said. Deputies in Multnomah County responded to reports of a tractor trailer leaking a red substance in Troutdale, a city about 16 miles outside Portland, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said. The driver, 40-year-old Junior Jean, told deputies the liquid was used to dye mulch, according to authorities. Deputies said Jean also claimed to have stopped to inspect the leak when another driver flagged him, but his company had...

A red dye derived from lichens that has been used for centuries to color fabrics and food appears to reduce the abundance of small toxic protein aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease. The dye, a compound called orcein, and a related substance, called O4, bind preferentially to small amyloid aggregates that are considered to be toxic and cause neuronal dysfunction and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s disease. O4 binding to small aggregates promotes their conversion into large, mature plaques which researchers assume to be largely non-toxic for neuronal cells. Further research with animal models is needed to determine whether this new approach by...