5 Ways the Red Dye No. 3 Ban Reminds Christians to Treat Our Bodies as God’s Temple

One of the greatest blessings anyone can receive from God is a healthy body that allows them to experience an excellent quality of life. Being able to get out and enjoy spending time with friends and family, seeing the beauty of God’s creation, and engaging in favorite hobbies or social activities are often taken for granted. Typically, it isn’t until we get sick that we often realize that blessing. The Red Dye No. 3 Ban is a reminder of the importance of being a bit savvy about what goes into the foods we eat, taking time to read labels, and making healthy food choices.Red Dye No. 3 is also referred to as FD&C Red No. 3, Red Dye 3, and erythrosine. The dye is made from petroleum and is used to give various foods a bright, cherry-red color, according to Consumer Reports. The dye is also used in some medications and has been used by both food manufacturers and medical companies, according to Forbes. Since its bright color makes it stand out, it’s believed that it enhances the visual appeal of products in the eyes of consumers. The dye causes cancer in lab rats, and the FDA has known this for about three decades. However, because the amount fed to lab rats is significantly higher (comparatively) than what would be fed to humans, there were challenges in banning it, even though it has been banned in Europe for several decades, according to Euro News. The FDA has finally decided to ban Red Dye No. 3 under The Delaney Clause, enacted in 1960 as part of the Color Additives Amendment to the FD&C Act. The clause prohibits the use of any food or color additive found to cause cancer in either rats or humans and has a zero tolerance. The ban gives food manufacturers until Jan. 15, 2027 to come up with a substitute, and drug manufacturers have until the following year, according to NBC News.Photo Credit: ©Canva Pro