Is Red Dye 3 Banned?
The FDA has revoked its use in food, with a deadline. On January 15, 2025 the FDA issued an order revoking the authorization for FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, giving manufacturers until January 15, 2027 to reformulate food and until January 18, 2028 for ingested drugs. Products made before those dates could still be on shelves after them.
The FDA acted under the Delaney Clause, which bars authorizing a color additive found to induce cancer in humans or animals. It said data in a 2022 petition show Red No. 3 causes cancer in male laboratory rats exposed to high levels, through a hormonal mechanism that occurs in male rats, while studies in other animals and in humans did not show the same effect and there is no evidence it causes cancer in people.
In April 2025 the FDA asked food companies to remove Red No. 3 sooner than those deadlines. California’s Food Safety Act separately bans food containing red dye 3, along with brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate and propylparaben, from January 1, 2027.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingOn January 15, 2025 the FDA issued an order revoking the authorizations for FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingManufacturers have until January 15, 2027 to reformulate food and until January 18, 2028 to reformulate ingested drugs containing Red No. 3, and products made before those dates may still be on the market. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA revoked the authorization under the Delaney Clause, which prohibits authorizing a color additive found to induce cancer in humans or animals. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says data in a 2022 petition show Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats exposed to high levels through a hormonal mechanism, while studies in other animals and in humans did not show the same effect and there is no evidence it causes cancer in humans. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingCalifornia’s Food Safety Act bans making or selling food containing red dye 3, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate or propylparaben from January 1, 2027. California Legislature ↗
- Government sourceIn its April 22, 2025 announcement the FDA said it is requesting food companies to remove Red No. 3 sooner than the 2027 to 2028 deadline. US FDA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.