The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a significant ban on Red No. 3, a widely used food dye that imparts a cherry-red hue to a variety of products, including candies, frostings, and some ingested medications. This decision comes as part of an effort to enhance consumer safety and product transparency. The ban, which will take effect over the next three years, affects over 2,000 products that have been sold in the United States in recent years.
Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, has been a staple in the food and drug industry despite its exclusion from cosmetics more than three decades ago. The FDA's recent move to prohibit its use in food products signals a shift towards stricter regulatory policies concerning artificial additives. Companies utilizing this dye are now tasked with reformulating their products to comply with the new regulations.
The dye is prevalent in a wide range of products that are now under scrutiny. Ice creams such as Safeway's Select peppermint ice cream and Kroger's Neapolitan ice cream contain Red No. 3. Similarly, popsicles, including the popular Nerds Bomb Pops, are affected by this ban. The vibrant red frosting found on cupcakes and cakes, like Target's Favorite Day Valentine's Day cupcakes, is another example of Red No. 3's usage.
Additionally, cookies adorned with red sprinkles, such as Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed heart sugar cookies and frosted circus animal cookies, incorporate the dye. Beverages have not been spared either; Nesquik strawberry-flavored low-fat milk features Red No. 3 as an ingredient. Even products like imitation bacon bits in Betty Crocker pasta salads and Jack Link's beef and cheddar sticks list the dye among their components.
Red No. 3 extends its reach into unexpected categories as well. Vigo yellow rice and canned fruits in fruit juice, such as mixed fruit from Publix, are among the numerous items facing reformulation challenges due to the FDA's directive.
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