7 Things You Need to Know About Red No. 3

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

The food dye ban thatโ€™s been over 30 years in the making could affect other dyes and your pocketbook.

For over 30 years, Red No. 3โ€”a synthetic dye banned in cosmetics for its cancer risksโ€”was still allowed in food and medication. Now, that long-standing contradiction is finally being resolved.

On Jan. 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Red No. 3 from food and ingested drugs, pointing to animal studies that link the dye to cancer. This decision, rooted in the Delaney Clause, which prohibits cancer-causing additives, signals a growing concern about synthetic food dyesโ€”even as debate continues over their actual risks to humans.

As companies look for alternatives, hereโ€™s what you need to know about the ban and how it could affect your food and health.

1. What Is Red No. 3, and Where Is It Commonly Found?

Red No. 3, or erythrosine, is a synthetic dye that creates a bright, cherry-red hue in foods, beverages, and medications. Itโ€™s also found in unexpected items like almonds, tortilla chips, fruit cups, and beef sticks. Even nutritional meal replacement shakes contain the dye, raising questions about its necessity in products where color seems secondary.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit that promotes transparency in consumer goods, Red No. 3 appears in at least 3,023 products listed in its database.

While the current focus is on its use in foods and drugs, Red No. 3 has also appeared in dietary supplements, cosmetics, and pet food.

2. Why Is Red No. 3 Considered Risky?

Red No. 3 has been scrutinized for decades. In the 1980s, studies linked high doses of the dye to thyroid cancer in male rats, prompting the FDA to ban it in cosmetics and topical drugs by 1990. Yet despite these findings, it remained legal in foods and ingested medications.

Beyond cancer risks, synthetic dyes like Red No. 3 have been linked to behavioral and attention issues in children. Some research suggests these dyes may worsen hyperactivity in sensitive individuals, fueling demand for natural alternatives. While the evidence remains inconclusive, the concerns have shaped public opinion on food additives.

Byย Sheramy Tsai,ย Amy Denne

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Was Texas Storm Manmade?

Another โ€œ1-in-100 yearsโ€ weather event in Kerr County happened next to a Texas designated โ€œWeather Modification Map of Rain-Enhancement Projects in Texasโ€.

The America Party Will Harm Democrats The Most

Elon Musk formed the America Party after an X poll asking his followers if they wanted โ€œindependence from the two-party system!

Democrats Exhibit the Dunning-Kruger Effect (DKE)

โ€œThe Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with low ability at a task overestimate their competence, while those with high ability underestimate their competence.

250 Countdown

Those 56 intrepid men who signed put their very lives, honor and fortunes on the line. There was no auto-quill to accommodate their signatures.ย 

How the Senate Parliamentarian Changed the OBBB

An unelected bureaucrat does a important job in the U.S. Senate. Elizabeth MacDonough enforces senate rules on Trumpโ€™s โ€œOne Big Beautiful Billโ€.

Trial Begins Over Trump Adminโ€™s Deportations of Pro-Palestinian Students

A trial over President Trumpโ€™s attempts to deport pro-Palestinian activists began on July 7 with attorneys debating free speech.

Man Killed After Opening Fire at Border Patrol Facility in Texas

27-year-old man armed with a rifle was killed after opening fire outside Border Patrol facility in McAllen, TX, prompting shootout with feds and local police.

California Rejects Federal Push to End Transgender Participation in School Sports

CA education officials are refusing to end policies allowing transgender students to participate in school sports consistent with their gender identities.

Amazon Prime Day Set to Lift US Online Sales by $23.8 Billion

Online spending in the United States is expected to surge by $23.8 billion during Amazonโ€™s expanded Prime Day event from July 8 to July 11.

Trump to Extend Tariff Deadline to Aug. 1, Keep Rates at 10 Percent During Talks

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump will sign the order to move the deadline to Aug. 1 from its current date of July 9.

DOJ, FBI Find Epstein Committed Suicide, Had No โ€˜Client Listโ€™

Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide and had no โ€œclient list,โ€ according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI.

National Weather Service Fully Staffed During Deadly Texas Flooding: White House

White House press sec. Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the National Weather Service had a full staff on hand to handle the Central Texas flooding.

US Removes Terrorist Designation for Al Qaeda Affiliate in Syria

The State Department has removed from its list of foreign terrorist organizations Al Qaedaโ€™s affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra.
spot_img

Related Articles