Companies say they are working to update their products to comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s decision Wednesday to ban the artificial food dye Red 3, after the agency said it was revoking the additive’s authorization over concerns it was causing cancer in rats.
While the agency says that studies show the way Red 3 causes cancer in rats does not occur in humans, the law still requires additives that cause cancer in animals to be pulled from the market even if they are not proven to pose a risk to humans as well.
The FDA says that food companies will have until Jan. 15, 2027 to stop using the dye. Drugmakers will have an extra year, until January 2028, to comply with the change.
Which food brands have Red 3 in their products?
Red 3, also known as erythrosine, Acid Red 51 or FD&C Red No. 3, is often used in candy. But other companies also use Red 3 to color a wide variety of products, from drinks to vegetarian meats, and will be forced to rework their recipes.
Yoo-hoo’s strawberry drink is being reformulated to be made without Red 3, the company told CBS News. “The new formula will be on shelves before the end of the year,” beverage giant Keurig Dr Pepper said in an email.
Kellanova, which manufactures Pop-Tarts and MorningStar products that use Red 3, said it is working to “ensure any impacted products are in compliance” by 2027.
A Nestlé spokesperson said most of their recipes already do not include synthetic colors, including Red 3. For products that still use it, like Nesquik strawberry milk or Toll House Funfetti cookie dough, the spokesperson said they have “already been actively removing” the dye.
Some Conagra Brands products, including its Marie Callender’s birthday cake pie and Duncan Hines confetti cake mix, list Red 3 as an ingredient. A Conagra spokesperson said they are “minimally impacted” by the FDA’s ruling, and are “taking steps to remove it from a limited number” of their products in time for the rule’s deadline.
Seasoning and condiments giant McCormick said it had also “already begun the process of removing Red 3 prior to the FDA ruling” on the dye. The spokesperson said McCormick has only “very limited use of Red 3 in our branded retail products.” Some of their products still listing Red 3 include vegan imitation bacon chips and Cake Mate red icing.
A spokesperson from Dunkin’ Donuts confirmed that some of its vegetarian bacon products contain the dye, but that version of the product is sold only in its 48 kosher locations. None of the company’s other locations sell products with the dye.
A Lindt & Sprüngli spokesperson said none of the company’s Lindt products contain Red 3. The spokesperson did not comment on some other brands owned by the company that do list Red 3 in their ingredients, such as Russell Stover.
Several food brands still listing Red 3 in some of their products did not immediately respond to a request for comment on when or if they plan to comply with the FDA’s ruling, including:
Which food brands do not have Red 3 in their products?
Many food brands never used Red 3. Many others have already changed their recipes to remove it, meaning nutrition facts published online or in databases can be out of date. The best way to check if a product has the dye is to read the label printed on the package.
The FDA requires companies to disclose when they use color additives in their ingredients list. Some synthetic dyes, including Red 3, have to be specifically named. This means they cannot be mentioned only as “artificial colors” on the label.
Hershey’s has not used the red dye since 2021 and it is not in any of their products on the market, a spokesperson told CBS News. A number of popular American candies like Kit Kat, Reese’s and Kisses are made by the company.
A spokesperson for Post Consumer Brands, which makes cereals such as Pebbles and Honey Bunches of Oats, said none of the company’s products use Red 3.
PepsiCo, whose brands include snacks such as Ruffles and Doritos as well as drinks such as Gatorade and Mountain Dew, also does not currently use the dye.
Mars Wrigley, which listed Red 3 as an ingredient in one of its Orbit gum flavors in the past, says none of the products in its portfolio currently rely on the dye. Other Mars brands include M&M’s, Snickers and Skittles.
J&J Snack Foods says they “proactively removed Red 3 from all products over six months ago,” including ICEE products that previously relied on the ingredient. Other J&J brands include Dippin’ Dots and Super Pretzel.
How can I know if a drug I’m taking has Red 3?
Consumer advocates say some versions of common medications and health products, including gummy vitamins, cough syrups and more contain Red 3, but some brands already use or have switched to natural coloring or alternate dyes.
People can check ingredient labels on drug packaging to see if an item includes Red 3, which may also be listed as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3.
Several companies did not respond to a request for comment on whether the FDA’s ruling impacts any of its products, including: Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Company, Abbott and Haleon.
Alexander TinAlexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers the Biden administration’s public health agencies, including the federal response to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19.
