Red 3 (Erythrosine)

What this is

Red 3, also known as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3, is a synthetic red dye used to give foods a bright cherry-pink color. It appears in some candies, baked goods, and brightly colored dessert toppings. Health concerns have long swirled around Red 3. In the 1980s, high doses of this dye caused thyroid tumors in lab rats, which led the FDA to ban its use in cosmetics in 1990. For decades it remained allowed in food, but in 2025 U.S. regulators decided to revoke Red 3’s food approval as a precaution. While experts say the small amounts used in foods likely pose minimal risk to humans, Red 3 is being removed from candies and fast-food items out of an abundance of caution.

Critical Endpoints

The key endpoints experts review in safety assessments (critical endpoints). This is not a prediction of harm.