ICMYI, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, beverages and ingested drugs, the agency announced on Wednesday. Chemically known as erythrosine, Red Dye 3 is a synthetic color additive made from petroleum and is used to give foods and beverages a bright red crimson color.
The dye is currently used in more than 9,200 food items, including candy, dairy products, chips, and cereals. According to the FDA, food manufacturers will have until January 2027 to reformulate their products without use of Red No. 3. As for pharmaceuticals, companies that make ingested drugs (such as dietary supplements and pills), will have until 2028.
What is Red Dye No. 3?
Red No. 3, which is made from petroleum, was approved by the FDA for use in foods in 1907. Despite its century-long history, the FDA’s effort to revoke authorization of Red No. 3 usage has been in the works for decades after it was determined that the dye was a possible carcinogen following a 1980s study that found tumors in rats exposed to the substance in high doses.
The red dye ban isn’t new, though. Food safety advocates have been concerned about the substance’s presence in the American food industry for decades. Eleven states, including California, have already made moves to ban red dye, which is banned or severely restricted in several countries outside the US, including Japan, Australia, and some countries in the European Union. The state decisions were mostly made after the FDA reviewed the possible link between artificial dyes and hyperactivity in children in 2011. It was determined, however, that no causal relationship between the synthetic dyes and child behavior could definitively be established.
Which foods contain Red Dye 3?
There are almost 10,000 products on the market that contain Red Dye No. 3, from frozen desserts to beverages to meat products.
Several candies include Red Dye 3, including some Ring Pops and Trolli Sour Brite varieties. Red No. 3 is especially prevalent in seasonal candies, such as candy corn, conversation hearts, jellybeans, and dyed marshmallows, unfortunately for Peeps. Fruit by the Foot Starburst Fruit Flavored Snacks gummies also have the dye.
As for baked goods, many Funfetti products contain the dye, as well as Ghirardelli White Chip Confetti Cookies. Several of Friendly’s ice cream cakes and single-serve products are currently made with Red Dye 3 and will also be subject to the ban.
Not even grains are safe, either. The ban will also affect several of Vigo’s ready-made dinners and rice products, as well as the Shoprite Trading Company’s Spanish Style Saffron Rice.
Some meat products, including certain brands of bacon bits, beef jerky, sausages, and plant-based meat substitutes contain the dye, too.
A variety of beverages are also on the chopping block, including some sports drinks (Red Gatorade), Protein shakes (such as Atkins and Ensure), fruit juices, strawberry milks, and soda.
What drugs and medications include Red Dye no. 3?
According to Drugs.com, some of the ingested medicines that may contain Red Dye No. 3 include the over-the-counter medications Acetaminophen (a pain reliever) and Andomeprazole, (which treats heartburn). Prescription medications containing the dye include the antidepressant Fluoxetine, and Gabapentin which is an anticonvulsant.
It is important to note that not every single food and pharmaceutical product that falls into each category contains Red 3 and will be affected by the ban; the use of the specific dye depends on the manufacturer and company. For example, just because Nesquik’s strawberry milk is out doesn’t mean that Fairlife’s is. From now until 2027, it’s important to read the labels of specific products.
What will happen to foods made with Red No. 3?
Food companies have until 2027 to reformulate their products without Red Dye No. 3. Some U.S. food manufacturers have already removed artificial dyes, including Red No. 3, from their products.
Other potential solutions include natural dyes, such as fruit and vegetable juice or plant products and spices.
Despite the ban on Red Dye No. 3, the FDA is not prohibiting the use of any other artificial dyes at this point in time — which means that all eyes are on Red No. 40, which has become a popular replacement for red dye 3, despite having been linked to behavioral issues in children.
Is Red Dye 40 safe?
In terms of overall health, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that Red Dye 40 is “of low concern.” Plus, both the Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) and World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that the estimated total dietary exposure to Red Dye 40 is not a health concern for people, regardless of age.
What foods contain Red Dye 40?
As one of the most widely used color additives, Red Dye 40 is found in a variety of popular foods and beverages, including Doritos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Plenty of other foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals also contain Red 40, including candy (Skittles, Swedish Fish, Wild Cherry Life Savers), cereals (Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, Apple Jacks), drinks (Hawaiian Punch and Kool-Aid), and snacks such as Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts.