FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3: Here’s What Foods To Avoid

The FDA banned the additive over cancer concerns. At least 3,183 brand-name food products contain Red No. 3, according to a database.

People shop in the confectionery section of a supermarket in Western Australia on May 4, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week said it will ban Red Dye No. 3, a food additive used in thousands of food products sold in U.S. stores.

Even though the dye was banned from certain medications and cosmetics in the early 1990s after a study found it was linked to cancer, it has persisted in appearing in ingredient lists in primarily snacks and other processed foods.

Because there are thousands of food products that contain the additive, here are some of the product categories where the dye is most likely to show up. Shoppers are advised to check food ingredient labels to see if an item includes Red 3, which is also known as erythrosine as well as FD&C Red No. 3.

The synthetic dye is used in cereals, candy, fruit cocktail cherries, strawberry milkshakes, Ensure products, some varieties of Peeps, Brach’s candy corn, Ring Pops, many desserts, and even some meat and dairy products.

Notably, some products that have red coloring don’t use Red 3 but use Red Dye No. 40, or Red 40, instead. Some studies have found that Red 40 may be linked to cancers as well because it contains benzene, a carcinogenic substance, as well as ADHD, migraines, skin irritation, and behavioral issues. The FDA has not signaled whether it wants to ban Red 40 or any other coloring additive.

An Epoch Times review of multiple products containing the dye show that Red 3 or a variation of the product’s name is often listed toward the end of the ingredient list and that a number of items with Red 3 also have Red 40 in their ingredients list.

A database maintained by the Environmental Working Group was able to generate 3,183 brand-name food products that have Red 3, which can be accessed via its website. In the interest of brevity, The Epoch Times will be listing only select items that contain the additive following the FDA’s decision.

Candy Products

Various flavors of Ring Pops have the dye in their ingredients lists. Jelly Belly also lists it in its Original Gourmet Candy Corn, and Cherry-flavored Laffy Taffy includes it.

Brach’s Conversation Hearts, commonly used as Valentine’s Day candy, and Brach’s Candy Corn both contain Red 3.

Ferrara Candy, owner of Brach’s, issued a statement after the FDA’s announcement and said it started phasing out its usage of Red 3 in 2023.

“More than half of Brach’s products do not include” the dye, the company said in its statement. “Brach’s Candy Corn candy shipping for the Fall 2025 season will not contain Red No. 3, and we are on track to eliminate the food coloring from remaining products by the end of 2026,” the company said.

At least one Pez candy product, the PEZ Candy Assorted Fruit, has Red 3, according to a list published on the maker’s website.

Beverages

Some brands of strawberry-flavored milk, including products made by Nesquik, use Red No. 3 in order to make it pink. Meanwhile, Yoo-hoo Strawberry Drink also includes it as its last ingredient.

Another beverage with the additive includes Ensure Original Strawberry Nutrition Shake.

Many beverage brands instead use Red 40, including Hawaiian Punch and Kool-Aid, Fanta and Jarritos strawberry sodas, and Faygo black cherry soda.

Fruit Products

Some companies that make maraschino cherries and some fruit cocktail products, which have cherries, includes the dye.

Many maraschino cherry brands, including store brands from Walmart and Kroger, use Red 40. However, Kroger Extra Cherry and Publix’s canned fruit cocktails both contain Red 3.

Medications

An article from Drugs.com, released after the FDA’s announcement, said that more than a dozen medications use Red 3 as a colorant, including drugs such as acetaminophen and diphenhydramine, acetaminophen and hydrocodone, fluoxetine hydrochloride, gabapentin, omeprazole, and more.

Consumer advocates have said some gummy vitamins and medications contain Red 3. Others use natural coloring or alternate dyes.

Vicks Formula 44, Luden’s, and Halls cough drops all use Red 40. Mucinex Children’s Cough Syrup, Robitussen Adult Cough, and Chest Congestion and Vick’s NyQuil Cold and Flu also use Red 40.

One product that no longer used Red 3 was PediaSure Grow & Gain Kids’ Ready-to-Drink Strawberry Shake, according to the company in response to consumer complaints.

“PediaSure strawberry shakes are now off white in color due the removal of Red 3,” a representative said in response to a complaint on its website late last year. “We left the color of the shake on the PediaSure strawberry labels pink to help differentiate the strawberry flavor from vanilla on store shelves.”

Baked Items, Desserts, and Snacks

A number of baked items and snacks, usually those with red icing or frosting, contain Red Dye No. 3. Some prominent products include Betty Crocker Red Decorating Icing, Entenmann’s Little Bites Party Cake Mini Muffins, and Pillsbury Funfetti Strawberry Cake & Cupcake Mix with Candy Bits.

Hostess-made Birthday Cupcakes include the synthetic food additive, too, an ingredient list shows. Target’s Favorite Day Valentine’s Day cupcakes also include it.

Some news outlets reported this week that certain Pop-Tart products, made by food giant Kellanova, formerly known as Kellogg’s, used Red 3. However, an Epoch Times review of its cherry, strawberry, and raspberry products shows the company uses Red 40 instead. Previously, the company had used Red 3 for the toaster pastry products.

A Krispy Kreme product, the strawberry iced glazed doughnut with rainbow sprinkles, includes Red 3, according to an ingredient list.

At least one Oreo product, meanwhile, includes the FDA-banned dye: the Oreo Celebrations Red & White Drizzled Brown Fudge Covered Cookies, as does Mother’s Circus Animal Cookies, made by Ferrero.

Walmart’s Freshness Guaranteed heart cookies similarly include Red 3, while Jell-O Unicorn Magic Cupcake Pudding Cups Snack features it.

Frozen Items and Ice Cream Products

At least two brands and flavors of ice cream, like Safeway’s Select peppermint ice cream as well as Kroger Neapolitan ice cream have Red 3. At least one type of popsicle, the Nerds Bomb Pops, also has the ingredient.

And at least one ice cream topping made by Smucker’s, the Smucker’s Unicorn Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping, contains the additive, according to its ingredients.

Meat and Other Products

At least one imitation bacon bits product, found in Betty Crocker pasta salads, has Red 3.

As does Jack Link’s beef and cheddar sticks, Prasek’s Family Smokehouse Smoked Beef Sausage, and MorningStar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips, an imitation meat product, among many others.

Vigo yellow rice’s ingredient list includes Red 3 as well.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.