Erythrosine (Red 3; FD&C Red No. 3)

Additive · E 127

Red 3, also called erythrosine, is an iodine-containing synthetic dye that gives foods a pink to cherry-red color. It has been used in sweets, frostings and processed cherries. Permitted foods and limits vary by country, and United States food authorization ends in January 2027.

Also known as

erythrosine · erythrosine B · FD&C Red No. 3 · FD and C Red No. 3 · Red 3 · Red No. 3 · Red Dye 3 · Red Dye No. 3 · E 127 · E127 · INS 127 · INS127 · C.I. Food Red 14 · C.I. 45430 · Acid Red 51

Why PRūF tracks it

High lifetime doses caused thyroid tumors in male rats, with limited relevance to human food exposure, while small newer rat studies report effects at lower nominal doses that require fuller verification before they can establish dietary risk.

Read the research

The clearest established hazard comes from lifetime studies in male rats fed very high concentrations, which developed thyroid tumors. Regulators link this response to thyroid-stimulating hormone and consider rats more sensitive than people. A small, two-week human study found a minimal thyroid-stimulating-hormone response at its highest dose; the lower no-effect dose informed the daily limit of 0.1 mg/kg body weight. This does not establish long-term safety for every person or show that food exposure causes human thyroid cancer.

New papers from one research group report brain, liver, kidney and spleen changes in rats at much lower nominal doses. Their full methods and independence remain insufficiently verified, so these findings need follow-up before drawing firm dietary conclusions. JECFA’s 2018 refined estimate for high-consuming children approached its daily limit but was not judged a health concern. FDA revoked food authorization under the legal rule for animal carcinogenicity, with the deadline remaining January 15, 2027 after an administrative stay was lifted in August 2026.

California’s food restriction begins January 1, 2027; West Virginia already restricts school meals.

Research reviewed on September 5, 2026 · 12 sources