The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Red Dye #3 in January 2025—an act that was a long time coming for the federal government, the American public, and Dr. Peter Lurie. Back in 1984, during a gap year from medical school, Lurie helped a public interest group called Public Citizen advocate against harmful synthetic chemicals in food, including Red Dye #3. Research has linked Red Dye #3 to cancer and ADHD-like symptoms in children.
Since then, whether as a physician, academic researcher, or federal official, his work has often focused on ridding the food supply of toxic chemicals. As the president and executive director of Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), he directed his organization in 2022 to petition the FDA to ban Red Dye #3. But from previously working at the FDA, Lurie knew that their best shot was to pressure the agency—through the states.
In California, CSPI helped develop legislation that led to a state-level ban and the removal of certain food dyes from the school meal program in 2024. After four decades, Lurie was “thrilled” when the FDA finally passed a federal ban. Just weeks later, his team successfully helped pressure the agency to define “healthy” food labels, so that they better align with nutrition science. “Most people believe the government is protecting them, but it often isn’t,” Lurie says. “That’s where we step in.”