The red synthetic dye newly banned from the U.S. food supply will remain available in Canada, where Health Canada has deemed it not a health risk.
Red 3 was recently banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Food Administration from food and ingested drugs, finally aligning with its from cosmetics and topical drugs the FDA put in place in 1990.
Red 3 is also restricted for use in food in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Canada continues to allow the substance in foods, cosmetics, and drugs.
Health Canada told the Canadian Press that if new scientific data reveals a human health risk to using the dye in food or drugs, it would take action, “including, if necessary, no longer permitting it to be used as a colouring agent in food and drugs.”
The agency described the FDA ban as a “legal requirement” triggered by the two rat studies.
“Studies in other animals and in humans did not show these effects, and claims that the use of this colour in food puts people’s health at risk are not supported by the available scientific evidence,” it said in an emailed statement early Wednesday evening.
Health Canada cited a safety evaluation conducted by a joint committee for the United Nations and World Health Organization in 2018. The joint UN/WHO committee said the dye did not risk food safety.
McGill University’s Joe Schwarcz agreed with Health Canada’s position that evidence demonstrating human safety concerns is lacking, but he nevertheless would like to see the dye banned because he says it adds no nutritional value while making ultra-processed foods more attractive to consumers.
“The important issue is: when you’re going to put something into food, it should be because it serves some sort of benefit, other than just making something look more appealing,” said Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society, told the Canadian Press.
Schwartz said beet juice extract and anthocyanins extracted from berries would have all the benefits and none of the drawbacks.
The dye, also known as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3, is primarily used in treats including candy, cakes, cookies and frostings to give foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red colour. It is even used to make cherries themselves look brighter.
The FDA banned the dye, given that two studies found it caused cancer in lab rats, even though a “rat-specific hormonal mechanism” was involved. The FDA said the measure was a “matter of law,” because a legal provision requires it to ban food additives found to cause cancer in humans or animals.
McMaster University scientist Waliul Khan believes the precaution makes sense.
“When there is emerging evidence that this is harmful — even in animals — why we are going to keep it in our food?” said Khan, a professor in the department of pathology and molecular medicine.
Khan said he’d welcome a warning label on foods containing synthetic dyes, also expressing concern over red dye No. 40, sometimes labelled allura red. An animal study he published in 2022 found long-term consumption linked allura red can to inflammatory bowel diseases.
“When we gave it continuously to a mouse for 12 weeks, it caused some harmful effects in the gut and increased the severity of colitis. But when we gave it once a week, we didn’t see that serious effect,” said Khan.
“Of course, there should be more studies, potentially, with the human subject.”
In 2023, two studies co-authored by University of Guelph microbiologist Emma Allen-Vercoe found some dyes could potentially result in toxic byproducts after they break down in the gut. She said in a release that the evidence begs for updated regulations to account for how compounds are metabolized.
Khan said he is investigating the safety of other dyes. He said it was costly to mount a trial with a large sample, and there were already ethical issues in attempting a study on humans with a substance known to harm animals.
