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Citing safety concerns, the FDA has just banned Red Dye 3, a widely used coloring agent found in food and drugs. The decision highlights the growing concerns over artificial additives in everyday products.
The dye, also identified as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3, is a synthetic coloring derived from petroleum that gives food a vivid red hue. It was approved for use in 1907, but it was banned in cosmetics in 1990 after studies linked it to cancer in lab rats. However, regulators stopped short of prohibiting its use in food and drugs, until now.
In 2022, CSPI (Center of Science in the Public Interest) and other organizations petitioned the FDA to ban Red Dye 3 entirely, and regulators responded by taking action. Per the constituent update, male rats developed cancer when exposed to increased levels of the dye, but it’s important to note that it did not have the same results for other animals and humans. “Claims that the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information,” the FDA stated.
What foods have Red Dye 3?
Food dyes are primarily used to enhance the appearance of products, making them more appealing to consumers. These color additives must first be approved by the FDA before they are used in products, and of the 36 approved additives, nine are synthetic, including Red Dye 3. According to the organization Environmental Working Group, more than 2,000 food products in their Food Scores database contain the synthetic coloring. Common foods with Red Dye 3 include candy and other types of sweets, as well as some elements found in desserts such as sprinkles and icing. It may also be found in flavored milk, some canned fruits, and frozen treats.
Red Dye 3 foods to avoid
Consumers are advised to be cautious about foods with Red Dye 3, which includes the following:
Candies
- Pez Candy Assorted Fruit
- Brach’s Candy Corn
- Jelly Belly
- Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum
- Trolli Sour Crunchy Crawlers
- Brach’s Conversation Hearts
- Ring Pops
- Fruit by the Foot
Baked Goods
- Red frosting and icing on cakes, cupcakes, cookies
- Toaster pastries
- Entenmann’s Little Bites Party Cake Mini Muffins
- Target’s Valentine’s Day cupcakes
Frozen Treats, drinks, and other products
- Ice pops
- Frozen fruit bars
- Strawberry-flavored milk (Yoo-Hoo and Nesquik)
- Certain flavors of ice cream and frozen yogurt
- Some canned fruits
- Maraschino cherries
Supplements and medications may also contain Red Dye 3, including gummy vitamins and cough syrups.
Is Red 40 banned?
Some manufacturers have transitioned to using Red 40 instead of Red Dye 3 as a better alternative. Red 40, also known as FD&C Red 40 or E129, is also a synthetic food dye with a deep red color commonly found in dairy products, cereals and fruit snacks, pastries and cakes, as well as certain beverages. Although Red 40 is reportedly linked to allergic reactions and migraine, the Environmental Protection Agency categorizes the synthetic dye to be of little concern and is not banned. Both the U.S. FDA and the European Union classify Red 40 as safe for human consumption.
Following the red dye food ban, food brands have begun removing Red Dye 3 from their products, with many looking into natural coloring alternatives such as carmine (a red dye that comes from insects), beet juice, and red cabbage, red radish, and purple sweet potato. The FDA has set a deadline for food manufacturers to comply with the new regulation by January 2027, while drug manufacturers have until Jan. 2028 to adjust their formulations.