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What is the Red 3 ban deadline for food manufacturers?

Short answer

January 15, 2027 for food and dietary supplements, and January 18, 2028 for ingested drugs. California's AB 418 bans Red 3 in food sold there from January 1, 2027.

What is the Red 3 ban deadline for food manufacturers? January 15, 2027 for food and dietary supplements. January 18, 2028 for ingested drugs. California AB 418: January 1, 2027.

By OTHER Natural Flavors, a service of Xponent21 Inc · Last checked October 31, 2026

The FDA compliance deadline for food manufacturers to remove FD&C Red No. 3 (Red 3) is January 15, 2027. Under an FDA order (Jan 15, 2025), via National Law Review, the agency revoked authorization for the color additive in food and dietary supplements. For makers of ingested drugs, the compliance cutoff is January 18, 2028, according to the same order. While the agency established these binding dates, FDA encourages manufacturers to remove Red 3 prior to the formal deadline.

State legislation accelerates this timeline. Under California law (AB 418), food sold in the state faces an earlier ban on Red 3, starting January 1, 2027. Unlike the voluntary phase-out targeting the end of 2027 for six other synthetic dyes, the revocation of Red 3 is a mandatory federal ban.

Food brands transitioning away from Red 3 must begin bench testing early. Natural color replacements may require extended stability testing, depending on product pH, heat exposure, and shelf-life parameters. Because botanical alternatives behave differently across formulations, operators should evaluate options as technical trade-offs rather than direct drop-in swaps.

FDAState lawsRed 3
InfoOTHER Natural Flavors is a service of Xponent21 Inc. We share public information and introductions. We do not give legal or regulatory advice and do not guarantee that any color or flavor will perform in your product. Confirm regulatory status with counsel and test every formulation. Sources and the date we last checked them are listed on each page.
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