Sept. 19, 2025 7 AM PT
To the editor: The Meals and Drug Administration’s proposal to formally ban Orange B, an artificial meals dye not used for many years, could appear largely symbolic (“FDA proposes ban on Orange B, a food dye not used for decades,” Sept. 17), but it highlights a broader challenge: the necessity for extra significant oversight of meals components. Whereas eradicating a long-obsolete dye is constructive, the company’s focus could be higher spent on dyes and chemical compounds nonetheless prevalent within the meals provide that pose real well being dangers. For instance, the extensively used meals dye Purple No. 3 was solely lately banned 35 years after it was initially linked to most cancers.
Regulatory updates ought to prioritize defending public well being and guaranteeing shopper security in ways in which have tangible affect. Symbolic bans might generate headlines, however they do little for on a regular basis security. The FDA has a possibility to strengthen oversight in a manner that issues, safeguarding the hundreds of thousands of People who devour processed meals every day.
Arav Mestry, Fremont
