When talking to most people, they are continually looking at ways to improve their health —whether by committing to better nutrition, increasing physical activity, or prioritizing more sleep. In this pursuit, many turn to external sources such as medical professionals, social media influencers, or government agencies for guidance in identifying and implementing these changes. “Nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk”, the FDA bans Red Dye No.3.

Known as erythrosine, FD&C Red No. 3 or Red 3, the dye will be removed from a list of approved color additives found in foods, dietary supplements, and oral medicines, like cough syrup. Though it was found to cause cancer three decades ago, when ingested by rats, it was only removed from cosmetics and externally applied drugs at the time.  This ban is long overdue, with tests and results to support this change.

Some food manufacturers have redeveloped their products to exclude Red 3 by replacing it with beet juice, purple sweet potatoes, radishes, and red cabbage. Wouldn’t you much rather eat a product knowing it had one of these items as opposed to a color number?

How will this affect manufacturers and ultimately the labeling supply chain?

“Food manufacturers will have until January 2027 to remove the dye from their products, while makers of ingested drugs will have until January 2028 to do the same.” The U.S. will require imported foods to follow the new requirement as well.

The removal of the dye from products will also include the removal of it from the ingredients list and therefore from the label. Adopting a cloud-based or centralized labeling solution makes this change almost effortless and alleviates the concern of errors or missed steps/labels.

Pragmatyxs is well-positioned to identify the best labeling solution for your company based on the size, labeling output, and existing business systems. Let us help you implement a solution that ensures a “healthier” outlook for your customers and your bottom line.