The Center for Science in the Public Interest wants warning labels on food products containing six synthetic dyes.
AdShooter/Getty Images
AdShooter/Getty Images
When the FDA announced a ban of food dye Red No. 3 this week, the agency pointed to a law that says a food additive may not be authorized if it’s been found to cause cancer. And research shows that red No. 3 can cause cancer in laboratory rats when they are exposed to high levels.
Food companies still have a couple of years to eliminate petroleum-based red No. 3 from their products. And there are other synthetic food dyes — in all sorts of different colors — that remain on the market.
Some evidence shows these synthetic dyes can negatively affect children’s behavior and mental health.
So, how should parents navigate this food supply? Here are some things to consider.
How do you know if red No. 3 is the food?
If it’s bright, cherry red that’s your first clue a product may contain red No. 3— but you need to look at the ingredient label. The FDA requires that food manufacturers declare red No. 3 and other synthetic colors on the ingredient label. Red No. 3 can be labeled as “FD&C Red No. 3” or “FD&C Red 3” or simply “Red 3.” As red No. 3 is phased out, you may see red dye No. 40 used as a replacement.
What are the health issues around red No. 3 and other food dyes?
The FDA’s ban was prompted by evidence that it caused cancer in laboratory rats at high doses, but there’s also concern red No. 3 and other synthetic food dyes may affect some children.
When California’s Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the body of research on synthetic dyes back in 2021, it found evidence that the dyes consumed in food can negatively impact children’s behavior. Out of about 25 studies, more than half identified a positive association between artificial food coloring intake and behavioral outcomes such as inattention and hyperactivity.
How prevalent is the use of red No 3 in food?
It’s in a lot of foods. The Environmental Working Group has compiled a list of more than 3,000 consumer products that contain red No. 3, which includes everything from fruit cocktail to flavored milk, cake mixes to candy.
Manufacturers often reformulate their products, so the group says it regularly updates the list. The label information is provided by Label INSIGHT, a company that compiles details about the ingredients in foods sold in American supermarkets.
How soon will it be gone from the food supply?
Food manufacturers have until January 2027 to eliminate red No. 3 from their products. But some manufacturers could reformulate more quickly.
Given restrictions in many parts of the globe, and new laws in California, which aim to restrict the use of red No. 3 and other synthetic food dyes, some companies have already been exploring alternatives.
But consumer groups worry that some food companies may just replace red No. 3 with red No. 40, which has also been linked to behavioral issues in kids.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest — which brought the petition to ban red No. 3 — wants the FDA to require warning labels on products that contain other synthetic food dyes.
Some companies are working on creating natural food colorings from compounds found in plants like beetroot or spirulina, a blue-green algae. When Kraft foods decided to take synthetic food dyes out of its mac and cheese products a decade ago, it replaced them with colors from spices such as paprika and turmeric.
Red No. 3 has also been used in medicines such as acetaminophen. Drugmakers will have until January 2028 to eliminate the dye from their products.
What other food dyes have raised concerns?
Last year, after its exhaustive review of the existing evidence linking synthetic dyes to neurobehavioral problems in children, California passed a second law. This one banned six other synthetic food dyes — including blue No. 1, green No. 3 and red No. 40 — from meals served in public schools.
Eugene Arnold, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with Ohio State University, says the evidence for some dyes is stronger than others. For example, yellow No. 5, also known as tartrazine, has been linked to irritability, restlessness and depression in some children. Evidence from animal studies have indicated several synthetic food dyes can affect memory and learning.
And while they are not banned, European Union countries require foods that contain red No. 40 and some other synthetic dyes to carry a health warning that says they may “have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
Should parents avoid all synthetic dyes in foods for their kids?
If your kid comes home from a birthday party with bright blue icing around their mouth, “don’t panic,” says Dr. Jennifer Woo Baidel, an associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford University, who also serves on the nutrition committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
She advises parents to limit their kids’ intake of foods with synthetic dyes as much as possible, “but a small amount is probably not going to make or break things,” she says. Just make it occasional and not routine.
Instead, she says, focus on your children’s overall pattern of eating. The bulk of their diet should consist of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. And avoid beverages with added sugars. This is just good nutrition advice in general.
Foods that contain synthetic dyes are also often high in sugar, such as ultra processed sugary drinks, juices, snacks and candies. These are foods that the American Academy of Pediatrics has long advised parents to limit in kids’ diets for other reasons, too.
But the occasional bright orange cheesy puff isn’t cause for alarm.
This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh
