FDA Amends Color Additive Regs to Allow More Use of Iron Oxides, End Use of Lead Acetate

The Food and Drug Administration is amending its color additive regulations effective Dec. 4 to allow the expanded use of synthetic iron oxides in dietary supplement tablets and caplets, it said. That final rule follows another issued the previous day that barred the use of lead acetate in cosmetics intended for coloring hair on the scalp, effective Dec. 3. According to FDA, "new data available since lead acetate was permanently listed demonstrate that there is no longer a reasonable certainty of no harm from the use of this color additive."