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.