Which foods contain red dye number 3? What to know about the up-to-date FDA ban

For over a century, food and drug manufacturers have added synthetic chemicals to candies, pills, smoothies and other products to give them a dynamic cherry color.

This will end soon. This week, the Food and Drug Administration banned the utilize of red dye No. 3 in food, citing concerns that the common dye may cause cancer in rats. Drug manufacturers using Red Dye No. 3 have until January 18, 2028 to change the composition of their products; food producers have until January 15, 2027.

“This is a great first step for the United States, but frankly, we are very far behind,” said Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington who studies environmental exposures that affect children’s health. The European Union, Australia and Novel Zealand have banned most uses of red food coloring No. 3.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why did the FDA ban red dye #3?

The FDA first allowed food manufacturers to utilize red dye No. 3 in 1907. However, in 1958, Congress passed a regulation preventing the agency from approving food additives or dyes that could lead to cancer in animals or humans.

Scientists and public interest groups have expressed concerns about the dye for decades. In 1990, the FDA even banned the utilize of red dye No. 3 in cosmetics such as lipsticks and skin medications after industry-funded research showed it led to thyroid cancer in rats. However, it could still be used as an additive to food and medicines.

In 2022, several public interest groups asked the FDA to revoke the approval of Red Dye No. 3 and pointed to studies that showed that male lab rats exposed to high concentrations of the chemical developed thyroid cancer.

“Consumers should not be put in a situation, as they have been for the last few decades, where they have to check the packaging every time to see if a chemical that should be banned by the FDA is still there,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the group that appealed to the FDA

In announcing its decision, the FDA noted that studies have not found a link to cancer in other types of animals. The agency added that any claims that people are at risk from the utilize of food coloring and medicines they take “are not supported by available scientific information.”

Are there any other concerns about Red Dye No. 3?

In addition to the risk of cancer, some studies have linked the consumption of synthetic food dyes, including red dye No. 3, and behavioral problems such as hyperactivity in some children. However, there are limitations to this research, including the fact that many of the studies examining this issue were diminutive.

What foods and medicines contain red dye number 3?

In 2023, California became the first state to ban the utilize of red dye No. 3 in food. (The law goes into effect in 2027.) Some companies have since moved away from using the dye, said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, one of the organizations that petitioned the FDA to ban its utilize this dye. dye.

Hundreds of foods and medicines still contain red dye #3, including some, but not all, brands:

• Candiessuch as candy corn, lollipops, jelly beans, and candy necklaces

• Vegan “meats” including imitation bacon and sausages

• Frostingespecially red or pink frostings

• Sausages and balmy dogs

• Cotton candy

• Cereals

• Cookies, cakes and muffinsincluding some red velvet and funfetti cake products.

• Rainbow sprinkles

• Milks, drinks and nutritional cocktails with strawberry flavor

• Chewing gums

• Rubber vitamins

• Mashed potato mixtures

• Some medications

What should be done before the ban comes into force?

Until then, if you’re concerned about dye, you can check the ingredient lists on foods and medicines. You can also check on U.S. Department of Agriculture Branded Food Database or Environment Working Party database.

As with many of the chemicals and additives we are exposed to, “there is no way to get to zero,” Dr. Sathyanarayana said.

“Will there be times when your child will be painted red?” she said. “Yes, because they go to birthday parties, they celebrate Halloween.” But you can minimize any potential risk, she added, “if you limit it to just those special occasions and not every day.”