If you’ve seen the news that just came out about the FDA banning red dye no.3, you might be wondering why this is. Doesn’t everything have chemicals in it? Isn’t everything bad for you these days? Why aren’t other artificial dyes banned?
I get it. Here to provide some clarity and also inform you of food containing red dye 3 so that you can avoid these (and, ideally, all products containing artificial dyes) so you can feel like your best self. Remember, a ban is just a decision / law, but it’s up to food and product manufactures to actually take action. Many of them have another year or two to make changes, so while we wait for that, here’s what you need to know:
Why is Red Dye No. 3 so bad?
Red Dye No. 3 is derived from petroleum and used to give foods that bright-cherry red color if they don’t naturally have this. Many cupcakes and cakes you’ve eaten with pink or red icing, as well as pink cotton candy, lollipops, likely had red dye no. 3 in them. The problem with red dye no. 3 is that high doses of it are linked to cancer in laboratory rats. Though the FDA’s data does not necessarily show this translating to the same problems in humans, according to the Delany Clause, the FDA has to ban any food additive that has been shown to cause cancer in humans or animals.
Red dye no. 3 has actually been banned in cosmetics in the US since 1990 and is also banned in the EU, Australia, and Japan. If you like to avoid it before manufacturers have to eliminate it from products (January 2028), you’re going to have to read ingredient labels and look for “red #3” or “erythrosine”, which is an alternative name for it.
What are the “sneaky foods” that contain red dye No. 3?
I’m providing you with ideas on which ingredient labels to check specifically below, but first, let’s take a look at the “sneakiest” ones:
- Cough syrups and medication such as Mucinex Children’s Cough Syrup, Robitussin Adult Cough and Chest Congestions DM, and others.
- Omeprazole – delayed release
- Acyclovir
- Acetaminophen – various brands
- Fluoxetine
- Phentermine Hydrochloride
- Gummy vitamins
- Children’s multivitamins
- PediaSure Grow & Gain Kid’ Ready-to-Drink Strawberry Shake
Other beverages and jarred or canned fruit:
- Maraschino cherries – various brands
- Strawberry milk, such as Nesquik
- Ensure Original Strawberry Nutrition shake
- Fruit cocktails – various brands
Ice cream & dairy:
- Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bar
- Kroger Neopolitan ice cream
- Popsicles – various brands
- Safeway Select Peppermint Ice Cream
Snacks:
- Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot
- Pillsbury Funfetti Strawberry Cake & Cupcake Mix with Candy Bits
- Entenmann’s Little Bites Party Cake Mini Muffins
- Favorite Day (Target brand) Valentine’s Day cupcakes
- Frosted Circus Animal Cookies – various brands
- Toaster pastries
Candy:
- Jelly Belly jelly beans
- Ring pops
- Pez – assorted fruit
- Trolli sour crunchy crawlers
- Brach’s candy corn and conversation hearts
- Dubble Bubble – original twist bubble gum
- Peeps
What else should I know?
The list above is not exhaustive and manufacturers change ingredients all the time, so be sure to read your labels and look for:
- Red Dye No. 3
- E127
- Erythosine
I would expect many companies to switch to safer alternatives fairly soon. I personally avoid all artificial dyes as much as possible and am known to bring my own cupcakes to birthday parties so my boys don’t have to eat icing with artificial colors in it (yes, I am THAT crunchy!). Remember that you don’t know what you don’t know, so if you’ve been eating any of the food products above, don’t beat yourself up!
I was born and raised in Europe and had a classmate in kindergarten who would turn aggressive whenever he would consume artificial dyes. His entire focus and ability to pay attention in class would change based on whether he would have these or not. It was amazing to witness and I’ve been thinking about the effects of artificial dyes on that boy since Kindergarten!
Other artificial dyes to watch out for: Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B.
What’s your take on this? Does anything surprise you? Leave a comment below and don’t forget to share this post with someone who could use it!
