FDA bans artificial red dye: What this means for consumers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the U.S. food supply will no longer have Red No. 3, which had been primarily used in a wide range of food products, such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, frostings and icings, as well as certain ingested drugs.
On Wednesday, the FDA said it is issuing an order to revoke the authorization for the use of Red No. 3 – also known as Erythrosine and gives certain foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color – in food and ingested drugs. The agency's decision to do so came after it reviewed a petition filed that argues, under a rule called the Delaney Clause, the FDA should ban this color additive in foods and drugs on a federal level because it has been shown to cause cancer in animals.
Moving forward, any manufacturer who uses the dye in food and ingested drugs will have until Jan. 15, 2027 or Jan. 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products. This means consumers could still see it as an ingredient in a food or drug product on the market past the aforementioned dates if the product was manufactured before the effective date, according to the FDA.
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The synthetic dye is already banned in the European Union. For over three decades, it has also been banned in cosmetics and topical drugs because of data demonstrating that it is associated with animal carcinogenicity.
According to Consumer Reports, the additive has been linked to cancer and thyroid tumors in lab animals and has been linked to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral effects in children.
Here are the products impacted:
According to the Eat Well Guide Food Scores database, nearly 3,000 food products on the U.S. market contain red dye 3, including candy, certain brands of mashed potatoes, yellow rice and some medications. The list also includes a range of other foods, including breakfast cereals, beverages and baked goods.
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Some companies have already removed the ingredient from their products. For instance, Red dye 3 was listed as an ingredient for PediaSure Grow & Gain, Strawberry shake earlier this year. Today, the product page specifically states, "no red dye."
Abbott, which owns the PediaSure brand, told FOX Business that it "previously committed to remove Red 3 from all PediaSure products in 2024."
Foods that have the dye listed as an ingredient:
PEZ Candy Assorted Fruit (Cherry, Strawberry, Grape, Raspberry, Orange, Lemon)
PEZ Cotton Candy, Candy Corn and Banana
Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum
Halloween Candy - AMOS Lollipop Finger Rings
Jelly Belly's Gourmet Candy Corn
MorningStar Farms Veggie Breakfast Original Veggie Bacon Strips
Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice
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Entenmann's Little Bites Party Cake Mini Muffins
Betty Crocker Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Fruit by the Foot Starburst
Dole Diced Fruit Cup
FOX Business reached out to Tootsie Roll Industries, which owns the Double Bubble brand, and The Ferrara Candy Company, which owns rhe Jelly Belly brand, for comment.
FOX Business contacted Dole and Kellanova, which owns MorningStar Farms Veggie Breakfast Original Veggie Bacon Strips, for comment.
Calls to General Mills, which owns Betty Crocker, did not go through.