STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a petition to ban a food dye known as Red No. 3. It's been used for decades in thousands of products, maybe including some you've eaten - candy, chips, yogurt, soda. But consumer groups and researchers question the health effects. An FDA spokesperson tells NPR a decision could come soon. So NPR's Allison Aubrey has us ready. Allison, good morning.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve. Great to be here.
INSKEEP: What could possibly go wrong with a food product with the attractive name Red Dye No. 3?
AUBREY: Well, Red Dye 3 is a petroleum-based food additive. It's been used for over 50 years to give foods that bright, flashy coloring. It was once used in cosmetics too, Steve, but back in 1990 the FDA banned it after lab studies showed it could cause cancer in animals at high doses. Now, the FDA previously concluded Red 3 is safe for people in the doses they're exposed to in foods, candy, drinks.
But last year, the state of California passed a law aiming to ban the use of Red 3, pointing to evidence that synthetic food dyes may exacerbate behavior problems in children.
INSKEEP: Wow. A connection to the behavior of children - like it's - what? - a psychoactive drug? Is that what we're saying here?
AUBREY: You know, it's been very tricky to assess the impact on kids' behavior. Think of all the things kids eat in a day, all the factors that can influence their behavior. So to suss out a specific effect of dyes hasn't been easy.
INSKEEP: Right.
AUBREY: But there is a fair amount of research, Steve, and California officials actually reviewed about 25 studies. More than half pointed to a positive association, showing food dyes may contribute to symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity. Other studies found no association. So it was a mixed bag. Earlier this year, the California governor signed another law to ban a group of synthetic dyes in school meals, including red, green and yellow dyes. But Red 3 is the only dye in the petition currently before the FDA.
INSKEEP: Does this mean the FDA could ban this dye the way that California did?
AUBREY: Yes. The FDA petition is seeking to eliminate Red 3 entirely from the food supply. Consumer groups argue there's enough evidence. And I'll point out, it would be difficult to conduct new studies to prove a kind of cause and effect between food dyes and worsening behavior. I mean, what parent, given what's already known about synthetic food dyes, would sign their kid up for such a study?
I spoke to Thomas Galligan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This is the group that has petitioned the FDA. He says there is no reason to add these synthetic dyes to food.
THOMAS GALLIGAN: Red 3, like every food dye, only serves as a marketing tool for the food industry. It's just there to make food look visually appealing so that consumers want to spend their money on it.
AUBREY: He points out that Red 3 has been banned or severely restricted in many countries, including in the European Union, Australia and Japan.
INSKEEP: So what does the food industry do if they lose it here?
AUBREY: Well, we reached out to the National Confectioners Association, which represents candy makers. A spokesperson there tells us they're waiting for the FDA to conclude its review before commenting, but they say the industry is committed to food safety and that its products are made using only FDA-approved ingredients. I'll say the food industry has shown that it can pivot to more natural alternatives.
About 10 years ago, when Kraft Foods decided to take synthetic dyes out of that bright orange mac and cheese, they replaced them with colors from spices, such as paprika and turmeric.
INSKEEP: Allison, thanks so much.
AUBREY: Thank you, Steve.
INSKEEP: Tasty reporting from NPR's Allison Aubrey. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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