What Foods Use Red Dye No. 3—and Why Was It Just Banned?
All products featured on Self are independently selected by Self editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission.
Kryssia Campos/Getty Images
Talk of a federal ban on certain food additives has been brewing for years, but now that possibility has crystallized into reality, at least for one much-talked-about dye. On January 15, the FDA issued an order targeting FD&C Red No. 3, a synthetic coloring agent also known as Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye 3, and erythrosine. Used for its bright cherry hue, Red No. 3 is currently found in some common foods and ingested drugs—but maybe not for much longer.
So what does this policy change mean for your favorite foods and drinks—and for your health? Have you been unknowingly consuming harmful chemicals all these years? If you’re alarmed, concerned, or even just confused, we have answers to these questions for you.
What’s behind the FDA ban on Red Dye No. 3?
It’s based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Enacted all the way back in 1960, this law basically states that the FDA can’t authorize food or color additives if they’ve been found to cause cancer in people or animals. In fact, as a result of the same law, Red Dye No. 3 was banned from cosmetic products in 1990.
So yes, some research indicates that Red No. 3 has links to cancer, but there’s a caveat. Namely, the dye was found to cause cancer in male lab rats exposed to high doses—but not in other animals or humans. Other research has raised concerns about a link between synthetic food dyes like Red No. 3 and negative behavioral effects in kids (especially ADHD and hyperactivity), though a 2012 summary published in Neurotherapeutics concluded these ingredients were not the main cause.
Currently, “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 said in a statement.
Still, these types of concerns have led other governing bodies to ban the additive: For example, for decades, it’s only authorized to be used in cocktail cherries, candied cherries, and Bigarreaux cherries in the European Union. Then in 2023, California governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning the use of the dye and three other chemicals in food sold and produced in the state.
“The FDA has been slow to act on many ingredients that have evidence of health harm,” some going back decades, Jennifer Pomeranz, JD, MPH, an associate professor of public health policy and management at the NYU School of Global Public Health, tells SELF.
So what foods contain Red No. 3?
While there still are a good amount, there are fewer than there used to be. Many companies have already begun phasing out Red No. 3, particularly after California’s Food Safety Act passed. These include Just Born, the parent company of Peeps, the confectioner famous for its marshmallow chicks. In 2023, the company announced that it would remove Red No. 3 from its formula; that change was due to take effect following Easter 2024.
But Red No. 3 still remains in an array of other foods and beverages, including candy, cereals, condiments, and more. Primarily, these are “processed products that you couldn't make in your home kitchen,” Pomeranz says. Here’s a few examples of items that do or can contain the dye, pulled from the USDA’s database or the food’s own labels. (Though keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list.)
Candy:
Baked goods, baking mixes, baking decorations, and dessert toppings:
Fruit products:
Snacks:
Drinks:
What happens next with Red No. 3 and other food dyes?
Red No. 3 is not the first synthetic coloring agent to be banned by the FDA: Other previous ones pulled include Green 1, Orange 1, Orange 2, Yellow 1, Yellow 2, Yellow 3, Yellow 4, and even other red dyes like Red 1, Red 2, and Red 4. However, there are many still allowed, including Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6—and another one that can provide a similar bright red color: Red 40. Currently, Red 40 can be found in many common snacks, candies, and drinks, including Doritos, Twizzlers, and Gatorade.
As for what comes next for Red No. 3? Per the FDA announcement, manufacturers who use the dye in food will need to reformulate their products by January 15, 2027. Meanwhile, manufacturers who use Red No. 3 in drugs will have until January 18, 2028.
Quick note: This doesn’t mean Red No. 3 will be completely eradicated from the food and drug supply by 2028. Products containing Red No. 3 could be available for purchase after the effective date if they were manufactured beforehand.
And stay tuned for other developments in this department, especially with the Make America Healthy Again movement gaining traction. “We will see with the new administration,” Pomeranz says, referencing MAHA advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for US Department of Health and Human Services secretary. “If RFK is confirmed, it does seem that he is interested in continuing along this path.”
Related:
Get more of SELF’s great health coverage delivered right to your inbox—for free.
Originally Appeared on Self
