Six more rainbow-colored food dyes, including Green 3, are under scrutiny following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Jan. 15 ban on Red 3 because of health fears.
While watchdogs are working their way through the Roy G. Biv of additives to rid our meals of potentially dangerous food additives, most of them still have FDA approval, according to an agency list.
What is Green 3, and why is it added to food?
The dye is an organic sodium salt derived from petroleum that provides foods with a light green or yellowish shade, according to Is It Clean and the National Library of Medicine. The FDA listed cereal, ice cream, sherbet, and baked goods as foods it's used to color.
The reason is purely aesthetic, according to Thomas Galligan, an expert at the Center for Science and the Public Interest.
"Those substances are added to our food exclusively to increase their visual appeal, to make them look a certain way so that consumers want to buy them. … So that's their function. It's, in my opinion, not a necessary function," he told The Cool Down.
While Green 3 is not one of the most common dyes, it can often be found in "confectionery, beverages, dairy products, baked goods, desserts, and more," according to American International Foods, Inc. It's also found in cosmetics as well as prescription and over-the-counter drugs, such as many types of light green ibuprofen capsules.
Is Green 3 safe?
Not if you are a rat, and probably not entirely for humans, either, according to the experts interviewed by The Cool Down.
"Studies have linked synthetic food dyes to inattentiveness, learning difficulties, and other adverse behavioral outcomes in children," Consumer Reports Director of Food Policy Brian Ronholm said.
Green 3, specifically, "caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats," per the CSPI's "Rainbow of Risks" report. While it's not as commonly used as other additives like Red 3, the researchers think that Green 3 should be prohibited, too.
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Yes — often 😬 "Though the Food and Drug Administration considers it safe, this little-used dye
must remain suspect until further testing is conducted," the center summary added.
Why hasn't the FDA banned Green 3?
Galligan told The Cool Down that the agency is sometimes laggard in response.
Officials banned Red 3 from use in cosmetics around 1990, but it took two dozen food safety advocates' filing a petition in 2022 to press for action on food use, according to the Associated Press. For their part, the FDA's experts said that red dye cancer risk for rats doesn't occur the same way in people. And the tested male rats were exposed to high levels of the dye, all per the AP.
The government still considers additives, including Green 3, safe to eat if used according to guidance. Red 3 is to be eliminated from use in food and drugs through 2027 and 2028, respectively, to give manufacturers time to adjust ingredients and replace stock.
What should consumers do about Green 3?
Staying educated on the topic and supporting brands that avoid questionable additives is a good place to start. More brands that operate with human and the planet's health in mind are available.
Ronholm offered The Cool Down plenty of alternatives to dyes, including beetroot, flowers, and red cabbage. For direct action, you can sign this Consumer Reports petition calling on the FDA to ban the six remaining dyes, including Green 3.
For perspective, Ronholm said the additives are not something that should cause hysteria in the kitchen.
"There should be concern, but consumers shouldn't panic," he said. "… It's no secret that many ultraprocessed foods contain additives that increase the risk of health harms in the long term, so trying to minimize consumption of those types of foods would be a positive step."
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