U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk.
Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the agency to revoke authorization for the substance that gives some candies, snack cakes and maraschino cherries a bright red hue.
The agency said it was taking the action as a “matter of law” because some studies have found that the dye caused cancer in lab rats. Officials cited a statute known as the Delaney Clause, which requires FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in people or animals.
The dye is known as erythrosine, FD&C Red No. 3 or Red 3. The ban removes it from the list of approved color additives in foods, dietary supplements and oral medicines, such as cough syrups. More than three decades ago, the FDA declined to authorize use of Red 3 in cosmetics and externally applied drugs because a study showed it caused cancer when eaten by rats.
“The FDA is taking action that will remove the authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs,” said Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods. “Evidence shows cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&C Red No.3. Importantly, the way that FD&C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans.”
Food manufacturers will have until January 2027 to remove the dye from their products, while makers of ingested drugs have until January 2028 to do the same. Other countries still allow for certain uses of the dye, but imported foods must meet the new U.S. requirement.
It’s not clear whether the ban will face legal challenges from food manufacturers because evidence hasn’t determined that the dye causes cancer when consumed by humans. At a hearing in December, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf suggested that’s a risk.
“When we do ban something, it will go to court,” he told members of Congress on Dec. 5. “And if we don’t have the scientific evidence, we will lose in court.”
Red 3 is banned for food use in Europe, Australia and New Zealand except in certain kinds of cherries. The dye will be banned in California starting in January 2027, and lawmakers in Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana have filed proposals to limit certain dyes, particularly from foods offered in public schools.
New York legislators introduced a bill in February that would ban Red No. 3 in food and drinks in the state beginning in 2026.
The International Association of Color Manufacturers defends the dye, saying that it is safe in levels typically consumed by humans. The group points to research by scientific committees operated by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, including a 2018 review that reaffirmed the safety of Red 3 in food.
Some food manufacturers have already reformulated products to remove Red 3. In its place they use beet juice; carmine, a dye made from insects; and pigments from foods such as purple sweet potato, radish and red cabbage, according to Sensient Food Colors, a St. Louis-based supplier of food colors and flavorings.
What foods contain Red Dye No. 3?
Thousands of foods contain Red Dye No. 3, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Dr. Peter Lurie, president and executive director of the CSPI, told TODAY.com the dye is also present in some oral medications and supplements.
“A search of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Branded Foods Database at FoodData Central identified 9,201 US food products that contain Red 3 — including hundreds of products made by the country’s biggest food companies,” the CSPI notes.
Here is a list of some common foods that may contain Red 3 — per Lurie, the FDA, the CSPI and Amanda Beaver, a dietitian at Houston Methodist hospital.
- Candy, especially seasonal candies, such as candy corn and dyed marshmallows
- Cakes and cupcakes
- Frozen desserts, such as ice pops and ice creams with strawberry flavoring
- Frostings
- Maraschino cherries
- Fruit cocktails
- Colored beverages
- Protein shakes
- Vegetarian meats
- Bacon bits
- Sausages
- Strawberry milk
- Puddings
However, it is important to note that not every item that falls into one of the above categories will contain Red 3. That’s why Lurie urges consumers to read food labels before making a purchase.
Red 3 is legally required to be on food labels if present and will be listed as:
- FD&C Red No. 3
- FD&C Red 3
- Red 3
According to Drugs.com, some of the oral medicines that may contain Red 3 include:
- Acetaminophen, a pain reliever
- Fluoxetine, an antidepressant
- Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant
- Andomeprazole, which treats heartburn
“Practically everybody is consuming Red 3 some of the time,” Lurie says. “They don’t really know it, and they don’t know in what quantities they’re consuming it.”
Does red velvet cake contain Red 3?
Traditionally, red velvet cake does not contain any food dye. According to Betty Crocker’s website, some pastry chefs use (or previously used) beets as a coloring agent. Others have attributed the crimson color to the combination of cocoa and other ingredients like brown sugar and/or buttermilk.
However, some pre-packaged red velvet products could contain Red 3 among the ingredients, so it is important to check the packaging to see if it is included on the ingredients list.
