5 Popular Snacks That Contain Red Dye No. 3

After decades of research on the dangers of artificial dyes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of FD&C Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, in food and oral medications. The ban comes almost two years after a color additive petition drew attention to a study examining male rats that developed cancer after exposure to high levels of Red Dye No. 3. Although the FDA says that the cancer-causing hormonal mechanism in rats isn't present in humans, many consumers and public health experts have spent years advocating for the ban of Red No. 3. 

Along with it being an animal carcinogenic, the dye has been linked to hyperactivity and other ADHD-like symptoms in children. However, it was the cancer-causing risks of the petroleum-based ingredient that brought about its 1990 ban in cosmetics and topical drugs. Countries like Austria, Norway, and France have already banned the ingredient, along with other artificial dyes. In 2023, California banned the use of four harmful chemicals in food, with Red No. 3 being among them. Some companies have already phased the dye out of their products (while still using other common dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 5), but there are a number of common goods that still contain Red Dye No. 3, including these five popular snacks.

Red dye is used in foods to give it a bright, neon-like tone, making it easy for desserts to attain an eye-catching cherry or hot pink color without turning to red food coloring substitutes. Strawberry dairy products, such as Good Humor's Strawberry Shortcake Bars, feature the dye. Red No. 3 is also present in a host of candy-flavored ice creams and popsicles, like the Bomb Pop NERDS Freeze Ice Pops and IttiBitz Cotton Candy ice cream.

However, generic grocery brands appear to be a large culprit of using the dye in their ice cream products. Walmart's Great Value Unicorn Sparkle, Target's Favorite Day Cotton Candy, and Safeway's Signature Select Simply Churned Peppermint and Unicorn Cotton Candy ice creams all contain Red No. 3, among other synthetic dyes. Kroger has a host of dairy products that use Red Dye No. 3, with its Chocolate Cherry Nut Truffle, Neapolitan, Strawberry Surf, and Tie Dye Burst flavors being only a few examples.

Little Debbie is a classic snack brand that has been an iconic part of many a school lunches, but no matter where your favorite falls in our ranking of Little Debbie's snacks, it most likely contains Red Dye No. 3. A significant amount of the brand's treats feature the ingredient, with its Cosmic Brownies being one of the most popular ones. The fudgy dessert is topped with candy-coated chocolate pieces — a bright rainbow spread only attained through the use of synthetic compounds, along with other dyes. 

The company's Sparkling Strawberry Unicorn Cakes combine the ingredient with Blue 1, Blue 2, and Red 40 to get its bright pink interior and light purple sugar crystals. Most of Little Debbie's products with Red No. 3 tend to come from its holiday releases. Its Valentine Brownies and Valentine Mini Muffins both rely on the dye for a soft, pink shade. Little Debbie's Christmas Tree Brownies, which are covered in candy-coated pieces like the Cosmic Brownies, use the dye as well.

With confectionery brands having a history of conjuring up unnatural flavors like blue raspberry or making treats that taste nothing like their fruit counterparts, it's unsurprising that several of them rely on artificial dyes. Sour gummy candies tend toward these unrealistic interpretations of fruit, and a few of Trolli's candies lean into this with the use of Red No. 3. While none of its iconic Crawler sour gummies feature the dye, Trolli's Sour Brite Bears, Llamas, and All Star Mix all list Red No. 3 as one of their ingredients.

Ring Pops, another popular fruit-flavored candy brand, uses the artificial dye in its Strawberry and Berry Blast flavors. PEZ's mix of assorted fruit candy and Brach's Candy Corn also list Red No. 3 as one of their ingredients. Along with candy, certain gums like Dubble Bubble's Bubble Gum also contain the now-banned dye.

From pie crust to cookies, Pillsbury has a wide range of products, and Red No. 3 is in a significant number of them. The brand's ready-to-eat snack selection has goods with the dye, such as the soft-baked Funfetti Cookies and Funfetti Popcorn. Pillsbury's line of birthday cake-flavored ingredients also use Red No. 3. The inclusion of the dye extends to its baking and cooking mixes, too, with its Funfetti Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle, Funfetti Brownie, Unicorn Pink Vanilla Cake Donut, and Strawberry Cake & Cupcake mixes being just a few. 

Some of the brand's frostings, like the Hot Pink Vanilla and Bold Purple Vanilla flavors, also use the dye. Although other prominent baking mix brands don't use Red No. 3, Pillsbury isn't alone in its use of dyes. Both Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines use Red 40 — which is regarded as a safer version of Red No. 3 — for its brightly-colored baking mixes, while the former company still uses Red No. 3 in its Loaded Mashed Potatoes mix.

Even if you decide to go for treats from an in-store bakery rather than opting for a mass-produced mix, the baked goods may still have Red No. 3 in them. Walmart's pink Frosted Sugar Cookies use the synthetic ingredient, as do its Valentine's Day Heart Sugar Cookies, Sugar Sandwich Cookies, and Valentine's Day Thumbprint Cookies. Target also lists Red No. 3 as an ingredient for several of its Valentine's Day treats. 

The grocery chain's Favorite Day brand uses the dye for its "I Tolerate You" Hand-Decorated Cookie, as well as other holiday-themed desserts like the Valentine's Strawberry Cake Pops and Valentine's Pretzel Rod Dipping Kit. Publix and Kroger, two other chains that offer a plethora of fresh baked goods, use the dye in their frosted sugar cookies. Unlike some baking mixes, though, the presence of Red No. 3 mainly stems from sprinkles, icing, and frosting. These might now be a few grocery store bakery items you should avoid buying.