Present in food, drinks and cosmetics, this substance is progressively banned or limited. What are the actual health risks? LILA Gazette investigates.

By Megan Ly – 9th grade.

Everytime you walk into a grocery store you might see bags of Doritos or Skittles in the aisles. Did you know that those foods contain a red dye that can be harmful to your body? Red Dye No. 3 and 40 are synthetic food dyes derived from petroleum. Red Dye No. 3 has a cherry-red color and is mainly used in foods like candies, sodas, and popsicles. Red Dye No. 40 has a dark red color and is used in many different sports drinks, Jello, and Twizzlers. Instead of being added for nutritional value, red food dyes are frequently used to make the processed foods and beverages look more appealing with its bright red color. 

Red Dye No. 3 was prohibited from being used in cosmetics by the Food and Drug Administration in 1990. Researchers had discovered that thyroid cancer formed in lab rats that were given high doses of Red Dye No. 3 over an extended period of time. Although the FDA knew that this dye could cause cancer in animals they never banned its use in food. The International Association of Color Manufacturers stated that Red Dye No. 3 is safe to eat at levels that humans normally consume. Concerns regarding the negative effects on children’s behavior have grown in addition to the potential cancer risk associated with Red Dye No. 3 and 40. 

Some studies that were done on Red Dye No. 40 showed a link between the dye and increased hyperactivity and ADHD in children. Many people want to ban the use of red dye in food because of these issues. Banning Red Dye No. 3 and 40 doesn’t mean banning the foods and drinks that use them. Instead companies could slightly alter their recipes and find safer alternatives to use. 

The California Food Safety Act was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom but it will not go into effect until 2027. It will forbid the production, marketing, or distribution of potentially dangerous food additives such as Red Dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, or propylparaben. “The additives addressed in this bill are already banned in various other countries. Signing this into law is a positive step forward on these four food additives until the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews and establishes national updated safety levels for these additives”, Gavin Newsom said.