Media Contact: Meredith Huddle
[email protected]
202-293-5800
May 16, 2023
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM) is committed to upholding the highest safety standards for colors used in consumer products, which are thoroughly evaluated and subject to strict global regulatory requirements. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a rigorous scientific pre-approval process and continuous monitoring to ensure the safety of colors used in food and other regulated products.
California Assembly Bill 418 would ban the use of FD&C Red No. 3 and Titanium Dioxide, both safe and widely-used color additives in food, unnecessarily overriding established safety standards. No regulatory authority, including FDA and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), has found credible safety concerns with these additives and maintains they are safe for use in food.
Actions like California’s AB 418 are not based on sound scientific assessments and undermine established regulations that have long ensured food safety. FDA is currently re-evaluating FD&C Red No. 3 and Titanium Dioxide, and IACM supports its rigorous review process and awaits any new evidence-backed conclusions from FDA and other leading regulatory bodies.