Red Dye No. 3 is used in certain candy, desserts, frostings, and other treats. | Photo by Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images
The US Food and Drug Administration is banning the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, drinks, and medication, the agency announced Wednesday. The dye, which the FDA says gives certain candies, cakes, and frostings a “bright, cherry-red color,” was found to cause cancer in male rats.
Food manufacturers in the US now have until January 15th, 2027 to reformulate their products without Red Dye No. 3, while drugmakers must take action by January 18th, 2028. Its ban as a food additive comes 35 years after the FDA banned its use in cosmetics and topical drugs in 1990. California similarly banned Red No. 3 and other food additives in 2023, while the European Union, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand also restrict the use of the dye.
Under the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), the FDA must ban foods that induce cancer in humans or animals. However, the FDA notes that studies involving other animals and humans “did not show these effects,” adding that claims stating Red Dye No. 3 in humans “are not supported by the available scientific information.”
Here are some foods that may use Red Dye No. 3, according to Amanda Beaver, a wellness dietician at Houston Methodist Hospital:
Certain fruit cocktails
Candy corns
Protein shakes
Ice pops
Sausages
Lollipops
Puddings
Vegetarian meats
Bacon bits
Strawberry milk
Jellybeans
Candies
Colored beverages
Strawberry ice cream bars
You can check whether a food has Red Dye No. 3 by checking the product’s ingredient list, or using food databases from the US Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Working Group.
The FDA’s decision to ban Red Dye No. 3 comes just days before President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Service, has considered taking action against food dyes and other potentially harmful additives.