After Red Dye 3 Got Banned, All Eyes Are On Red Dye 40. A Toxicologist Explains The Concerns
By 2027, red dye No.3 will disappear from American grocery stores, per a new Food and Drug Administration ban. But what about another additive, red dye No.40?
Due to all of the controversy surrounding red dye 3—it’s been linked to behavioral issues in kids, for example—many companies have turned to red dye No.40 to get a rosy hue in foods.
But is red dye 40 plagued by the same issues that red dye 3 is? Here’s what toxicologists want you to know.
Meet the experts: Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, is a toxicologist at MedStar Health. Jamie Alan, PhD, is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.
Is red dye 40 the same as red dye 3?
While there are some similarities, red dye 40 is not the same as red dye 3. Red dye 40, also known as Allura Red, is a different chemical than red dye 3. It was first registered with the FDA in the 1970s and, like red dye 3, it’s synthesized from petroleum.
Red dye 40 is one of the most popular food dyes used in the U.S. today, according to Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a toxicologist at MedStar Health.
Is red dye 40 bad for you?
The research into red dye 40 (and a bunch of other synthetic food dyes) is ongoing. “Red dye 40 is not definitively proven to cause cancer, but it is associated with development of allergic reactions in susceptible individuals,” Johnson-Arbor says.
There may also be a link between red dye 40 and behavioral issues in children, although this is still being explored, says Jamie Alan, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University.
Worth noting: Red dye 40 is banned in California schools after the state's legislature passed the California School Food Safety Act in 2024. This act forbids the use of artificial colorings red dye No. 40, yellow dyes Nos. 5 and 6, blue dyes Nos. 1 and 2, and green dye No. 3 from foods served in schools.
That decision was based off of a 2021 scientific analysis from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. For that report, the organization analyzed data from human and animal studies and concluded that synthetic food dyes—including red dye 40 and red dye 3—could be linked with hyperactivity and neurobehavioral problems in some children.
Which foods contain red dye 3?
Again, many companies have moved away from using red dye 3, but it still shows up in some foods. Those include:
Betty Crocker Red Decorating Icing
Kroger Extra Cherry canned fruit cocktail
Brach’s Conversation Hearts
Brach’s Candy Corn
Pez Candy Assorted Fruit
Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum
Brach's Candy Corn
Jelly Belly candies
Trolli Sour Crunchy Crawlers
In general, you’re more likely to find red dye 3 in these types of foods, per an FDA exposure analysis:
Baking decorations
Ice cream cones
Frostings and icings
Frozen dairy desserts
Soft candy and gummies
Meal replacement drinks and bars
Cookies
Toaster pastries
Ice pops
Baby foods
Hard candy
Which foods contain red dye 40?
Red dye 40 has become a popular replacement for red dye 3. Here are a few foods that currently contain the dye:
Swedish Fish
Wild Cherry Lifesavers
Pillsbury’s Funfetti Valentine’s Day Vanilla Frosting
Hawaiian Punch
Kool-Aid
Overall, experts point out that you don’t need to eat red food coloring or synthetic dyes at all. (They're not part of a balanced and nutritious diet.) If you’re concerned about the potential health impact of red dye 3, red dye 40, or other synthetic dyes, try to read labels carefully and avoid them in the future, Alan says.
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