From popsicles to pistachios and from meat to mac and cheese, synthetic food dyes are everywhere. Their vibrant colors make food appealing and increase our appetite.
But many dyes also pose serious health risks.
Made with petroleum-oil-based chemicals, artificial coloring has been associated with various health harms. Health concerns include behavioral and developmental issues in some children and the potential for increased risk of cancer.
The U.S. is one of the few industrialized countries without strict regulations on these harmful chemicals. Many countries, including Australia, Japan and those within the European Union, either restrict or ban these chemicals from use.
EWG is particularly concerned with the potentially harmful effects of seven food dyes: Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5 and Yellow Dye No. 6.
Uses of artificial food coloring
Food dyes are used to create the bright colors often found in products marketed to children. Many ultra-processed foods, or foods industrially produced and made with ingredients not available at home, contain at least one, while others may contain a mixture of dyes.
So do tens of thousands of products in EWG’s Food Scores database, which rates the health hazards of packaged foods, including many types of breakfast cereals, ice cream and candy products. A large number of name brands, such as Mott’s Applesauce, Peeps and Minute Maid Fruit Juice, contain food dyes.
Common food dyes are also found in over-the-counter medication, mouthwash and children’s vitamins.
These chemicals are also often used in cosmetics and personal care products. Our Skin Deep® database includes thousands of products made with these dyes. While some of these products may lead to possible ingestion, such as lip balms and lipsticks, most products are not expected to be ingested and pose less of a health risk.
Health issues
Some children are sensitive to the effects of artificial colorings, according to a study by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, or OEHHA. Food dye may aggravate symptoms associated with behavioral difficulties, including inattentiveness, impaired memory and restlessness.
Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 or Yellow No. 6 – which account for 90 percent of food dyes used in the U.S. – are especially linked to those health effects. The EU requires any food products containing these three dyes to have a warning label that reads “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
The Food and Drug Administration does not require the same warning. And it does little to restrict the use of food dye in food. The agency has approved all of these food dyes for general use “consistent with good manufacturing practices,” so restrictions are vague and ineffective.
The FDA’s current acceptable daily intake levels are based on outdated studies that do not reflect the potential health hazards of synthetic dye. To protect children’s health, these levels need to be much lower, according to the OEHHA.
Here are specific health risks associated with these seven food dyes:
- Blue Dye No. 1: A study observed developmental delays and behavioral difficulties in animals. Another study found associated developmental effects on the nervous system.
- Blue Dye No. 2: Consumption of this chemical caused an increased incidence of tumors in rats. Limited individual studies have been conducted.
- Green Dye No. 3: An animal study found a significant increase in bladder tumors associated with the consumption of this chemical. Limited individual studies have been conducted. It is the least used of these seven dyes.
- Red Dye No. 3: Ingestion of this chemical caused cancer in rats. It is banned from use in cosmetics, as enforced by the FDA.
- Red Dye No. 40: Hazardous to children’s brains during critical periods of development.
- Yellow Dye No. 5: In sensitive children, as little as one milligram of Yellow No. 5 can affect behavior, causing irritability, restlessness and sleep disturbance.
- Yellow Dye No. 6: Studies found potential contamination with benzidine or other cancer causing chemicals.
Consumers need more protection
These chemicals were last reviewed by the FDA decades ago, some as early as 1969. Other dyes linked to health harms have not been reviewed in more than 40 years. Reevaluation by the FDA is not required, even when new evidence points to potential health hazards.
In 1990, the FDA banned Red Dye No. 3 in cosmetics but did not ban its use in food, despite proof it causes cancer. The FDA pledged to ban Red No. 3 in food but three decades later it has not acted. This chemical is still found in over 3,300 products in Food Scores.
The EU banned Red No. 3 completely in 1994, with the narrow exception of maraschino cherries.
Last year, California passed a bill authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and co-sponsored by EWG banning the use of Red No. 3. It will take effect in 2027. Under market pressure, companies nationwide, such as Peeps maker Just Born, have pledged to stop using it in their products.
This year, state lawmakers in Illinois, New York and elsewhere have introduced several bills aiming to ban a number of harmful additives, including Red No. 3.
Last week, Pennsylvania legislators introduced a bill to ban six food dyes and three other chemicals. If these bills become law, the manufacture or sale of food containing these chemicals would be banned in those states.
Gabriel has introduced another bill to address the use of hazardous food dyes in school food by preventing public K-12 schools from serving any food with one or more of the remaining six dyes.
States and, under pressure, the food industry, are already taking some steps to protect consumers’ health. But the safety of U.S. food products requires swift nationwide action. It’s time for the FDA and other federal agencies to step up and join the movement. Despite new leadership, the FDA has not yet followed through on the agency’s pledge to ban BVO and did not ask for more funding to review the safety of food chemicals in the agency’s most recent budget request.
Lowering your exposure to food dye
If you want to moderate your daily intake of food dye or lower it as much as possible, here’s where to start.
- Consult EWG’s Food Scores. The database accounts for the presence of food dyes when determining scores. When you’re on the go, use our Healthy Living app to find products without food dyes.
- Read food product labels. The FDA requires companies to list food dyes on product labels. Try to avoid products that use dyes.
- Avoid ultra-processed foods when possible. Most food dyes are found in processed food, limiting your consumption can improve long-term health.
Choose brands that use natural alternatives to dye in their products. Kraft replaced the yellow dye in its mac and cheese with turmeric, paprika and annatto in 2016.
