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.
Take a look at our comprehensive guide to the best and most popular information ebooks and products available today on Detoxing, Colon Cleansing, Weight Loss and Dating and Romance. They are all in one spot, easy to find and compere to make a quick selection for the product that best fits your needs or wants.
So browse through a category and make your preferred selection and come back here to read more choice articles and get a few more helpful tips on ways to help your enhancement.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. “saubiosaubiosuccess.com is a participant in third party affiliate and advertising programs; The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Awin network, and other affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees and commissions by advertising and linking to products on other sites and on Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.”
We use anonymous cookies and various 3rd-party services to optimise and to offer you a better, more personalised, browsing experience with advanced accessibility enhancements.
Dismiss
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
