Just a few weeks ago on January 15, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Biden administration revoked authorization of the additive red dye 3, meaning it will be banned from foods and drugs. But the food additive is super widespread—and won’t be officially out of grocery stores until 2027.
It’s all because of two studies that linked red dye 3 to thyroid cancer in male rats.
“Two studies showed cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No. 3 due to a rat specific hormonal mechanism,” the FDA wrote in their press release. “The way that FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans.”
Red dye 3 has been widely criticized for years, with many companies having already started to remove the dye from their foods. However, it’s still circulating in the U.S. food and drug supply, since the FDA is giving manufacturers a few years to remove it from their products. Here’s which foods contain it and why it’s been banned.
What is red dye 3?
Red dye 3—also known as red dye No.3 and erythrosine—is a synthetic dye that’s derived from petroleum. The dye is usually used in some foods to create a bright, cherry-red color.
In 1990, red dye 3 was banned from use in cosmetics and topical drugs by the FDA under the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This clause states that color additives may not be used in the U.S. if they cause cancer in animals or humans when ingested. (Research finds that red dye 3 may cause cancer in high doses in rats, although studies on humans have not had the same conclusion.)
“This ingredient doesn’t add anything to the food aside from the red and pink vivid colors, which neither enhances flavor, enhances nutrition, or improves shelf life,” says Scott Keatley, RD, co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.
Many other countries or governing bodies have already banned red dye 3 in foods: The European Union restricted its use to only certain types of processed cherries in 1994, while California prohibited it from foods in 2023 (which would have been effective in 2027).
Which foods have red dye 3?
Again, many companies have already worked to remove red dye 3 from their products due to growing concerns from the general public. However, the dye is still circulating in nearly 3,000 products, according to a database from the Environmental Working Group.
These are the most common items that contain red dye 3, according to an FDA exposure analysis:
- Baking decorations
- Ice cream cones
- Frostings and icings
- Frozen dairy desserts
- Soft candy and gummies
- Meal replacement drinks and bars
- Cookies
- Toaster pastries
- Ice pops
- Baby foods
- Hard candy
- Why is red dye 3 bad?
In its alert, the FDA noted that red dye 3 was being banned “as a matter of law,” citing the Delaney Clause. But the agency stressed that human studies have not linked red dye 3 to cancer, only animal ones have.
“This news is not surprising because the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act prohibits the authorization of color additives that have been found to induce cancer in humans or animals, and red dye No. 3 has been found to induce cancer in male rats under certain conditions,” says Wade Syers, D.Soc.Sci., a statewide Michigan State University Extension food safety specialist. “There is no evidence that red dye No. 3 causes cancer in humans.”
But many are also concerned about red dye 3’s potential impact on kids. The additive been connected to behavioral issues in children, and a 2021 report from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment found that kids who ate red dye 3 (along with other food dyes) were more likely to struggle with hyperactivity and trouble focusing.
But Keatley says those concerned with red dye 3’s link to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are “barking up the wrong tree.”
“We don’t consume much red dye No.3 over the course of a day, a week, or a month, and comparing our intake to those of rats in studies is apples to oranges,” he says. “More important concerns should be emissions from trucks and cars, lack of physical activity in schools, and the consumption of primarily junk food.”
There’s no need to panic over the additive for now—but if you’d like, you can check your products for red dye 3. (It can also be written as “FD&C Red No. 3” or FD&C Red 3” on food labels.)
“Manufacturers will have until Jan. 15, 2027, to remove red dye No. 3 from their food products,” Syers points out. “For the time being, if you are concerned about consuming red dye No.3, you can check your ingredient lists for Red 3 and limit your purchases of those products.”
