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\u00a9\u00a0Carlos Domingue \/ Getty<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 15, the\u00a0Food and Drug Administration<\/a>\u00a0announced a ban on synthetic coloring Red No. 3 (also often referred to as Red 3, FC&C Red 3, and FD&C Red No. 3). As you can guess, the dye is often responsible for the red color you find in many foods, drinks, and even medicines. The FDA first banned the dye, which has been\u00a0linked to cancer<\/a>\u00a0(in lab rats only) and possibly to\u00a0behavioral issues<\/a>\u00a0in children, from use in cosmetics and topical medications back in 1990. The dye is also currently banned from use in foods in the European union, New Zealand, and Australia (with an interesting\u00a0exception<\/a>: maraschino cherries), and was previously\u00a0banned in California back in 2023<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n “FD&C Red No. 3 has been primarily used in certain food products, such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts<\/a>, and frostings and icings, as well as certain ingested drugs,” states the FDA. Any food manufacturers who currently use Red No. 3 will have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate their products, while drug manufactures will have an additional year. This means, for the time being, these products with the banned ingredient will still be in circulation\u2014and there are quite a lot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest<\/a> (CSPI), there are upwards of 9,200 products in America\u2014McCormick<\/a> and Wilton’s Red Food Coloring<\/a> included\u2014that currently contain the dye, some more popular than others. Here’s a sampling of some of the most popular:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many brands of maraschino cherry include the ill-fated Red 3, but there’s no need to pour one out for the beloved Shirley Temple<\/a>. Brands like Luxardo and Mezzetta don’t use the dye, so you can still scoop those up worry-free today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most brand of yellow or saffron rice<\/a> are Red Dye No. 3-free, but Vigo brand<\/a> uses the dye, so others likely do, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love a\u00a0confetti cake<\/a>\u00a0as much as the next kid, but a lot of these colorful confections, like\u00a0Pillsbury Funfetti Strawberry Cake<\/a>\u00a0& Cupcake Mix with Candy Bits, use the dreaded No. 3. The\u00a0chocolate<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0yellow cake<\/a>\u00a0versions also have it. (Many others use Red 40, which is another synthetic food dye)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some brands, like Nesquik<\/a>, use Red No. 3 to make their strawberry milk<\/a> pink. However, many use natural coloring, including Fairlife and Horizon Organic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, America’s favorite shortcake bar<\/a> is going to have to reevaluate how to get that striking pink color we’ve all come to recognize from Good Humor<\/a>‘s signature ice cream bar<\/a>. We trust it won’t affect the flavor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensure is known for its nutritional shakes<\/a>, but not all flavors are created equal. The strawberry<\/a> and peach shakes contain Red 3, but other options like milk chocolate, cherry cheesecake, vanilla, chocolate, and mocha are all clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re one of those people who collect Pez<\/a> dispensers, you might want to stay away from the Pez itself\u2014cherry, grape, strawberry, orange, lemon, and raspberry flavors all contain Red No 3. For now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sorry to break it to ya, lovebirds, but those iconic Brach’s conversation hearts<\/a> you’ve been passing out for years are indeed a Red No. 3 carrier<\/a>. If you’re concerned, pivot to Sweethearts or Sweettarts brand hearts this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You won’t find me losing any sleep over this one. I am firmly on team candy corn<\/a> is gross, so I am not shocked to discover that these little Halloween gremlins use the newly banned dye. Peace!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A final note:\u00a0<\/strong>While the Red No. 3 ban certainly affects a handful of food and beverages, it’s not as widespread as some other outlets are reporting. Many are inaccurately reporting that some flavored puddings, strawberry Pediasure, Fruit by the Foot, and certain\u00a0sausages<\/a>, among many other items, contain the dye. None that we were able to find do, but the much more prevalent Red Dye 40 is in numerous products on store shelves\u2014from cereals and\u00a0toaster pastries<\/a>\u00a0to sodas, ice creams, and even\u00a0Gatorade<\/a>. It’s also in a number of medications, like the heartburn med omeprazole and pain reliever Tylenol. California, ever ahead of the game, has also placed a ban on this synthetic dye.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n “CSPI’s advice to parents is to avoid not only Red 3, but all numbered dyes, such as Yellow 5 and Red 40. Aside from the risk of cancer posed by Red 3, concerns have mounted about the adverse impacts of these synthetic dyes on children’s behavior,” states the organization<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the FDA doesn’t appear to be banning any other synthetic dyes quite yet, they just might be next to face the firing squad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a9\u00a0Carlos Domingue \/ Getty On January 15, the\u00a0Food and Drug Administration\u00a0announced a ban on synthetic coloring Red No. 3 (also often referred to as Red 3, FC&C Red 3, and FD&C Red No. 3). As you can guess, the dye is often responsible for the red color you find in many foods, drinks, and even<\/p>\nMaraschino Cherries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Vigo Yellow Rice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cake & Cupcake Mixes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Nesquik Strawberry Milk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Certain Ensure Flavors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pez<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Brach’s Conversation Hearts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Candy Corn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n