Mobile Courant

U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville questioned officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the safety of red dyes used in food products during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing. The inquiry was directed at Robert Califf, Commissioner of the FDA, and Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner of the Human Foods Program.

Senator Tuberville raised concerns regarding Red Dye No. 3 and Red Dye No. 40. He asked what measures are being taken by the FDA to protect consumers from potential health risks associated with these chemicals.

During the hearing, Tuberville emphasized that "it’s not a conservative or a liberal standpoint" but rather an issue that requires understanding from all parties involved. He pointed out that while Red Dye No. 3 is known to cause cancer in cosmetics, it is still permitted in food products.

Jim Jones acknowledged that "we have not evaluated Red [Dye No.] 40 in over a decade." However, he noted that there is currently a petition to revoke authorization for Red Dye No. 3 due to its carcinogenic properties observed in laboratory animals.

Jones explained the challenges faced by the FDA under existing regulations: "Even though we don’t believe there is a risk to humans under the Delaney Clause of the FFDCA, Red Dye... should not be authorized."

Dr. Califf highlighted budget constraints affecting their ability to conduct comprehensive chemical safety reviews: "We have repeatedly asked for better funding for chemical safety."

Tuberville also questioned why European countries have different standards regarding food dyes compared to the U.S., suggesting they may be ahead in terms of post-market chemical reviews.

Jones responded by stating that Europe has been conducting post-market reviews for over two decades due to legal mandates, whereas such mandates do not exist in the U.S.: "We are several decades behind Europeans and our Canadian counterparts."

The discussion concluded with an acknowledgment of consumer influence on market decisions: "As long as we have a consumer-driven system where what people like in the short term is what drives the system... it’s going to be really hard for us to mandate [that] things [should] come off [the market]," said Dr. Califf.

Senator Tuberville serves Alabama and participates in various Senate committees including Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP.