What foods contain Red 3? Newly FDA-banned artificial dye is more common than you think

The Food and Drug Administration announced a landmark decision on Wednesday to ban the Red No. 3 food dye from use in U.S. food, beverage, and drug products for its connection to adverse health effects.

Manufacturers of food products and ingested drugs have until Jan. 15, 2027, or Jan. 18, 2028, respectively, to find alternatives to the artificial colorant, which goes by the names FD&C Red No. 3 and erythrosine. That means consumers should remain wary of the items they pull from the shelves at their local supermarkets and grocery stores.

In fact, the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 9,201 U.S. products in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Branded Foods Database at FoodData Central use Red 3. CSPI said that, among links to other health risks, the dye had been found to cause cancer in rats.  

Here are the categories and specific products shoppers should check for over the next few years to avoid exposure to the chemical.

What foods contain Red No. 3?

According to the Associated Press, confections like candies, baked goods, and other sweet snacks often contain Red 3. The publication confirmed that Peeps marshmallows, Brach's Conversation Hearts and Candy Corn, and Betty Crocker Red Decorating Icing are among those that include the dye. 

Many brands that sell fruit products, beverages, gummy vitamins, and medication have opted for Red No. 40, which has raised its own concerns over its safety. Some still use Red 3, though, like Kroger Extra Cherry canned fruit cocktail and Ensure Original Strawberry Nutrition Shake.

The AP also listed strawberry-flavored milk, such as TruMoo Strawberry Whole Milk, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and popsicles as other sources of the synthetic coloring agent. The sheer ubiquity of Red 3 means that it can be found in meat, seafood, salad dressings, and nuts, too.

CSPI said that the biggest categories to watch out for were generally seasonal candies, some flavors of Ring Pops or knockoff versions, maraschino cherries, and anything that contains cherries, such as fruit cocktails. 

Perhaps most useful is an article Newsweek published promising to be a "full list," though it too has some generalities in it since the FDA does not appear to make such a list available to the public, and because smaller operations such as local bakeries could use the dye without necessarily sharing that to customers. 

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Why you should care about the ban on Red No. 3

According to Thomas Galligan of the CSPI, Red 3 and other artificial dyes are made of petroleum and have been linked to behavioral changes in children. They offer no nutritional benefits and are only "added to our food exclusively to increase their visual appeal," he told The Cool Down.

Red 3 has been banned from use in cosmetics and topical medications for over three decades after studies found that rats that ingested copious amounts of the colorant developed cancer.

However, pushback from the maraschino cherry industry prevented it from getting banned from the food industry despite research showing that it was in violation of the Delaney Clause — a law that prohibits the FDA from approving additives for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics if they are shown to be carcinogenic in humans or animals. 

While advocacy organizations such as Consumer Reports are still working to get six more major dyes banned by the FDA, the ruling on Red 3 is "long overdue" and "a really important win for public health and for consumers," Galligan told TCD.

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