Foods That Contain Red Dye No. 3, Banned By The FDA

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday banned Red Dye No. 3 from the nation’s food supply nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risks.

Regulators approved a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the agency to revoke authorization for the substance that gives some candies, snack cakes and maraschino cherries a bright red hue. It’s also used in some medications, sodas and other products.

Importantly, the FDA said it is revoking the use of the dye as a “matter of law,” and not because there is evidence it is a human carcinogenic.

Here’s a list of products that use Red Dye No 3, via Newsweek:

Red Dye No. 3 is a common ingredient in various foods, drinks and medicines. Items that often contain the dye include:

Candies

• Pez Candy Assorted Fruit
• Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum
• Brach's Candy Corn
• Jelly Belly candies
• Trolli Sour Crunchy Crawlers

Baked Goods and Snacks

• Entenmann's Little Bites Party Cake Mini Muffins
• Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot
• Toaster pastries
• Cookies with red icing or decorations

Dairy and Frozen Desserts

• Strawberry-flavored milk
• Certain ice cream flavors and frozen yogurt
• Ice pops and frozen fruit bars

Fruit Products

• Maraschino cherries
• Some fruit cocktails

Beverages

• Yoo-hoo Strawberry Drink
• Certain sodas and fruit-flavored drinks

Medications and Supplements

• Some cough syrups
• Gummy vitamins
• PediaSure Grow & Gain Kids' Ready-to-Drink Strawberry Shake

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Dole Fruit Packs were among the products containing Red Dye 3. As of March 2023, Dole removed Red Dye No. 3 from the ingredients in its Dole® Fruit Bowls® Cherry Mixed Fruit products, the company said.