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Do your favorite foods have Red Dye 3? Here’s how you can check

The now-banned red dye is typically found in candy and dessert toppings

SAN ANTONIO – A food dye that gives candy and popular foods a bright, cherry-red color has been banned in the United States.

Due to a potential cancer risk, Food and Drug Administration officials banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply on Wednesday.

At least two studies have shown that high levels of the food dye were linked to cancer in rats. However, there is no known link between the dye and cancer in humans, the FDA said.

What foods have Red Dye No. 3?

The dye is found in thousands of consumer products but is primarily used in foods such as candy, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, icings, frosting and some ingested drugs.

Some foods include:

Consumers can learn whether a product contains the dye on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s branded food database.

Popular foods with Red Dye, like Doritos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, contain Red Dye No. 40. That synthetic food dye is used to achieve a bright crimson color in food and candy.

Food manufacturers will have until 2027 to reformulate their products without Red Dye No. 3.

The deadline for drugmakers will be 2028.

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About the Authors
Madalynn Lambert headshot

Madalynn Lambert is a Content Gatherer at KSAT-12. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2024 with a degree in journalism and minors in global and science communication.

Avery Meurer headshot

Avery Meurer is a Content Gatherer for KSAT 12. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Radio, Television and Film, as well as a Creative Writing Certificate. A native San Antonian, Avery attended the Northeast School of the Arts (NESA) majoring in musical theater and creative writing.

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