What you should know about the FDA's prohibition on Red No. 3 food coloring in food and beverages

 What you should know about the FDA's prohibition on Red No. 3 food coloring in food and beverages

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Red No. 3, an ingredient used to give food and beverages a vivid, cherry-red hue, has been formally outlawed by the Food and Drug Administration.

On Wednesday, the FDA declared that it has changed its rules for color additives, prohibiting the use of artificial Red No. 3 in food and medications. The elimination follows a 2022 petition by advocates alleging the color additive is connected to childhood behavioral issues and cancer.



Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, is a color additive made from petroleum that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. According to the FDA announcement, the additive is commonly used in candy, cakes and cupcakes, frozen desserts, frostings and icing, and certain ingested drugs. 

Two studies that demonstrated that high amounts of Red No. 3 caused cancer in male lab rats were referenced in the 2022 color additive petition. The FDA release states that Red No. 3 does not cause cancer in humans in the same manner that it does in male lab rats. Furthermore, Red No levels in humans are normally far lower.

In 2023, California was the first state to outlaw the production, distribution, and sale of four food additives, including Red No. 3.

California proposed to outlaw six of the nine FDA-approved artificial food colors in public school meals and beverages by 2027 in a separate law that was passed in 2024. Red No. 3 was not included in the bill. See more...