NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may ban an artificial red food dye. The dye is the coloring that can be found in drinks, snacks, cereals, and candy. The Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a meeting last Thursday and the FDA's Deputy Commissioner, Jim Jones, said, "With Red 3, we have a petition in front of us to revoke the authorization board, and we're hopeful that in the next few weeks, we'll be acting on that petition." House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member, Frank Pallone Jr. is also urging the FDA to ban the coloring — as it's made from petroleum. "With the holiday season in full swing where sweet treats are abundant, it is frightening that this chemical remains hidden in these foods that we and our children are eating," Pallone said. "While food companies must ensure that the food they market is safe, they are also required to ensure that their products meet FDA's standards. This means that thousands of products that contain this chemical can remain on the market." Some states in the U.S. are already starting to ban artificial food dyes for themselves. Eleven states, including South Dakota, have either passed or are hoping to pass legislation that bans the use of Red Dye 3 and other food coloring. In North Dakota, there is presently no law or prohibition against the use of food colorings in food products. North Dakota's legislative branch can establish standards, however, at this point, there are no bills that have been proposed for the next legislative session to ban the use of certain food dyes, specifically Red Dye 3. Over three-quarters of the U.S. food supply is regulated by the FDA, and all color additives must be approved before they are used in foods — there are 36 FDA-approved additives, and nine of them are synthetic dyes. Some dyes used in food are also used in pharmaceutical drugs but have been approved separately. The FDA banned Red No. 3 in 1990 from cosmetics and topical drugs. Some dyes are either banned or need a warning label in other countries including Yellow No. 5, Red No. 40, and Yellow No. 6. The label says that the additive, "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." "There is something called the precautionary principle, which is basically the thought that it's better to be safe than sorry," explained an Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Jerold Mande. "The U.S. wears it as a badge of honor that we don't adhere to it." Even if data on potential harms is not conclusive, other countries aren't taking the risk. Whooping cough outbreak across North Dakota, and the country There are some experts and consumer advocacy groups that argue that there's enough evidence that some colors can cause harm that will warrant a ban, but the FDA maintains that the approved food dyes are safe. In 2011, an FDA advisory committee conducted a review of the possible link between food dyes and hyperactivity and determined that the relationship wasn't established. The agency revisited the issue again in 2019 and maintained its stance from 2011. In 2012, another review of studies happened, and researchers concluded that artificial food colorings "are not a main cause of ADHD." The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment was completed in 2021 with all the available research about food dyes on human health, and the conclusion was that, "consumption of synthetic food dyes can result in hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children, and that children vary in their sensitivity to synthetic food dyes." On top of that, some manufacturers are already removing these dyes from their products. Kraft has already removed Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 with natural coloring. And Nestle removed Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW