Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of red dye No. 3 from the country’s food supply, citing studies that have found the dye to cause cancer in rats.

Often called erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3 or Red 3, red dye No. 3 was barred from use in cosmetics over three decades ago.

The move was praised by many of the country’s notable public health officials, and the director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Dr. Peter Lurie, called the “the unsustainable double standard in which Red 3 was banned from lipstick but permitted in candy” a “welcome, but long overdue, action from the FDA.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former presidential candidate nominated by incoming President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, listed getting rid of items like red dye No. 3 as one of his top priorities.

“The first thing I’d do isn’t going to cost you anything because I’m just gonna tell the cereal companies, take all the dyes out of their food,” Kennedy said in October when asked what actions he would take if he was appointed a position.

Banning the substance follows Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, or MAHA.

According to the MAHA Alliance super PAC, launched in 2024 to spur former Kennedy supporters to vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election, MAHA seeks to “to dismantle the corporate stranglehold on our government agencies that has led to widespread chronic disease, environmental degradation and rampant public distrust.”

The PAC went on to say its goals include “prioritizing regenerative agriculture, preserving natural habitats and eliminating toxins from our food, water and air.”

As America moves toward a possibly more “healthy” future, other seemingly innocuous substances may be removed from our favorite grocery store products.

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is a chemical used in U.S. foods, often as a color additive. A U.S. Department of Agriculture database found the substance in over 12,000 brand-name products. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, it is likely that number is much higher as many companies will just refer to titanium dioxide as an “artificial color.”

A safety evaluation conducted by the European Food Safety Authority found the substance is “no longer considered safe.” According to the study, when humans ingest food-grade titanium dioxide, small particles can accumulate in the body, causing genetic damage. It can also lead to damage in the immune and nervous systems.

Public health groups, including the Environmental Working Group, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have petitioned the FDA to ban the substance’s use in food.

Despite warnings, titanium dioxide can still be found in many of the products Georgians use in large group dinners, including Banquet-brand Country Sausage Gravy and Kraft Reduced-Fat Cheese, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture database.

rBST

Recombinant bovine somatotropin, or rBST, is a synthetic hormone created to increase milk production in dairy cows is found in almost all U.S. dairy products unless marked otherwise.

According to Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, this substance is also found in many items that use milk in their formation, including yogurt, ice cream, cheese and a Southern food favorite, butter.

Not permitted in the European Union, Canada and many other countries, some research compiled by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners has found that rBST can stimulate the growth of human breast cancer cells.

Other research has found an increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer in women with higher levels of rBST in their blood.

Propylparaben

China, the EU and California have all banned use of propylparaben, a preservative used in cosmetics, food and drugs.

Often found in sweet favorites like cake mixes or some prepackaged cinnamon rolls, propylparaben can alter the expression of genes, including those in breast cancer cells, according to the Environmental Working Group, which said the preservative “should not be used in personal care or cosmetic products.”

Trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene, a substance used in the production of decaffeinated coffee, spices and hops for beer, was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency last year, after years of pushing for it. However, the FDA has continued to allow TCE use.

In 2014, the EPA identified cancer risks for people who had worked at places that used trichloroethylene-based solvents, and according to the National Toxicology Program, TCE is officially a carcinogen.

A National Library of Medicine report found traces of the substance in foods ranging from butter to apple pie, coleslaw with dressing to cream cheese, all foods you would be hard-pressed to find a Southern barbecue without.

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