The artificial coloring, known as Red Dye No. 3 has been banned in cosmetics in the U.S. for 35 years, but it has been allowed to stay in food and medicine. The synthetic dye that gives foods a cherry red color is an ingredient in more than 9,200 products on store shelves in the country. It was only last month that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally moved to ban Red Dye No. 3 in food and medicine due to its link to cancer in animals, but other food dyes, including the controversial Red Dye No. 40, are not banned at this time.1
Red Dye No. 3 ban came in response to a color additive petition filed in 2022 by food safety advocates providing evidence of the dye’s links to cancer and behavioral issues. Because the dye is iodine based, it is also linked to thyroid issues.2 Red Dye No.3 can be found in many candies, baked goods and snacks, dairy and frozen desserts, fruit products, beverages, and some medications and supplements.3
Dyes Derived from Petroleum, Banned in Cosmetics Since 1990
Red Dye No. 3., which is derived from petroleum, was initially approved by the U.S. government for use in foods in 1907 even though little research had been conducted to demonstrate its safety. The FDA banned the additive in cosmetics in 1990 under the Delaney Clause, a federal law that requires the FDA to ban additives found to cause or induce cancer in either humans or animals.
The FDA has given food manufacturers until Jan. 15, 2027 to reformulate their products. Companies that make dietary supplements that contain Red Dye No. 3 will have an additional year to comply with the FDA ban.
“At long last, the FDA is ending the regulatory paradox of Red 3 being illegal for use in lipstick, but perfectly legal to feed to children in the form of candy,” said Peter Lurie, MD, MPH, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.1
Since Red Dye No. 40 is not banned, but there is concern about products with Red Dye. No 3 will simply be swapped for Red Dye 40, which is commonly linked to behavioral issues. Joshua Lachter of The Free Press writes:
If we wait for years of painstaking research to show that a particular compound is harmful— only to replace it with other compounds— we will simply swap the shunned for the suspect.4
“There is a growing national movement around this that we have seen. It is a bipartisan movement,” Lachter said. “This is an important moment, but I think it’s just the beginning of a lot more to come.”1
Red Dye No. 3 Restricted in Several Other Countries, State of California
In 2023, California became the first state to ban four food ingredients linked to disease, including Red Dye No. 3, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and propylparaben. Like the FDA’s ban, the law will not go into effect until 2027.
“It’s unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety,” said California assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who sponsored the state bill. “This bill will not ban any foods or products — it simply will require food companies to make minor modifications to their recipes and switch to the safer alternative ingredients that they already use in Europe and so many other places around the globe,” he added.5
Countries that have restricted the use of Red Dye No. 3 for decades now, including Australia, New Zealand, and the European Union.5
Click here to view References:
1 Lovelace B, Chuck E. FDA bans Red No. 3, artificial coloring used in beverages, candy and other foods. NBC News, Jan. 15, 2025.
2 Neely, S. Red Dye No. 3 versus Red 40: what is the difference, why is only one being banned? Yahoo News, Jan. 22, 2025.
3 Mesa J. Full list of foods and drinks that contain Red Dye 3 after FDA bans additive. Newsweek, Jan. 15, 2025.
4 Lacher, J. It’s not just Red Dye No. 3. It’s all our stuff. The Free Press, Jan. 21, 2025.
5 Hernandez, J. California becomes the first state to ban 4 food additives linked to disease. NPR, Oct. 10, 2023.
If you would like to receive an e-mail notice of the most recent articles published in The Vaccine Reaction each week, click here.