Red No. 3 banned by FDA due to cancer found in male lab rats

The Food and Drug Administration has officially banned Red No. 3, an additive used for giving food and drinks a bright, cherry-red color.

The FDA announced on Wednesday that it has amended its color additive regulations, no longer allowing the use of artificial Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. The removal is in response to a color additive petition filed in 2022 by advocates who claim the additive is linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children.

Manufacturers who use Red No. 3 in food will have until Jan. 15, 2027, to reformulate their products, while those who use the dye in drugs will have until Jan. 18, 2028, according to the FDA announcement. Food imported in the U.S. will also be required to comply with the new regulations.

Here’s what to know about Red No. 3 and its reported effects.

What is Red No. 3?

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. According to the Environmental Working Group, a U.S.-based nonprofit focusing on environmental and public health issues, more than 3,000 products contain Red No. 3.

Red No. 3 was banned from use in cosmetics in the U.S. in 1990 because of evidence that the dye is carcinogenic at high doses to lab rats. However, it has remained one of nine synthetic dyes approved for use in food products. The eight remaining approved dyes include Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Citrus Red − all used to give food, drinks and ingested drugs bright colors.

More: Do food dyes make ADHD worse? Why some studies’ findings spur food coloring bans

Why did the FDA ban Red No. 3?

The color additive petition filed in 2022 cited two studies that showed cancer in male lab rats when exposed to high levels of Red No. 3. According to the FDA announcement, the way Red No. 3 causes cancer in male lab rats does not occur in humans. And humans are typically exposed to much lower levels of Red No. 3 than lab rats. The announcement said that studies in other animals and humans did not result in these effects.

Federal ban follows one in California

California became the first state in 2023 to ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of four food additives, including Red No. 3.

In a separate act passed in 2024, California moved to ban six of the nine FDA-approved artificial food dyes in public school food and drinks by 2027. The bill did not include Red No. 3.

Since, more states have followed with bills targeting the use of food additives, including Illinois and New York.

In the past decade, bills targeting Red No. 3 and other food dyes have been introduced in Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington and West Virginia, according to the Environmental Working Group.

Is Red No. 3 banned in other countries?

Yes. Red No. 3 is largely banned in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at . Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@.com.