Food dyes are a hot topic at the moment, but they’ve surprisingly been in the food system since the beginning of time, even as early as 300 BC.1 From adding color and brightness to foods, to being associated with potential behavioral and health concerns, food dyes are a controversial and nuanced topic. So, should you ditch the dyes from your child’s diet once and for all, or is more nuanced needed? Read on as we dig into the research on this colorful topic.
What are food dyes and what are some common types of food dyes?
Food dyes are food additives that add color and brightness to food, but do not add flavor or nutrition. They are meant to make foods look appealing and appetizing. They can also be used in non-food items, such as cosmetics, medications, and personal care items, like toothpaste.2
There are various types of food dyes, such as:3,4
- Synthetic food dyes, including Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6.
- Natural food dyes, including annatto extract, anthocyanins, beet extract, paprika, tomato lycopene extract, and turmeric; as well as other fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs.
What foods typically contain food dyes?
Food dyes can be found in a variety of foods, but they tend to be most commonly found in juice drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, sodas, breakfast cereals, and dessert frosting, amongst other foods.5
Research suggests that compared to adults, children tend to consume more foods containing food dyes. In fact, greater food dye intake in children is associated with decreased intake of other foods, like fruits and vegetables.6
Are food dyes bad for a child’s health?
It’s hard to draw a clear conclusion from the research. The research available suggests that certain food dyes may increase behavioral challenges in certain children who are sensitive to food dyes, particularly in kids who are neurodivergent.7 Some research based on rodents suggests that certain food dyes, like Red #3, may be associated with cancer in male rats.8 However, this type of cancer mechanism has not been demonstrated in humans and other animals.
No study is perfect, but the research available so far suggests that if possible and when feasible, it can be a good idea to try to reduce or avoid food dyes when it makes sense, but overall, focus on offering a variety of nutritious foods and keep in mind that a small amounts of food dye on occasion is not a cause for concern.
It is important to remember that all food and nutrition research has its limitations, for example:
- Different types of food dyes may have different impacts on the body, meaning that findings from one study on one type of food dye may not apply to other food dyes.
- How much food dyes may impact the body depends on how much is consumed over time, generally the more that is consumed, the more likely an issue may arise.
- Many studies rely on rodent testing where rodents receive high amounts of food dyes that a child or adult is unlikely to consume in daily life.9
- Every child and individual may vary in how sensitive they may be to the effects of food dyes.
- It is difficult to objectively research and assess a child’s change in behavior.
- Food dyes are mainly found in processed and packaged foods, but it is possible that negative effects associated with dyes may be a result of other ingredients or food packaging materials.
- In many cases, families who depend more on processed and packaged foods have less resources, less nutritious foods in their diets, and decreased access to healthcare, which increases the risk of both short- and long-term health issues.
- An individual’s behavior may improve with the removal of food dyes, but it may also improve due to the substitution with other more nutritious foods or other changes in lifestyle behaviors.
Why is Red #3 being banned as an ingredient?
Red #3 had been banned from use in cosmetics and medications in the 1990’s. At that time, it was also meant to be removed from the food system, but due to resource constraints, it was not removed. The issue emerged again in 2022, where concern regarding the use of high amounts of Red #3 was associated with cancer in male rats. However, this type of cancer hasn’t been demonstrated in other animals or humans, suggesting that the risk of cancer to humans is low. That said, it is in the process of being removed from the food system out of an abundance of caution for consumers.10
Should food dyes be removed from the food system?
There are a lot of layers to the food system and food regulations. On one hand, removing certain food dyes may help children and individuals who are sensitive and/or allergic to food dyes commonly used today. On the other hand, other unintended issues may arise. For example, food dyes that are currently in use may be replaced with ingredients that may not be friendly to the food allergy community, making food label reading and food selection more complicated and stressful for this population. That said, certain states are banning the use of food dyes in the school food system.11, 12 Most recently, the FDA has banned the use of Red #3 in the general US food system.13
Why are some food dyes allowed in the United States, but not in other countries?
Different countries have different rules, regulations, and research that they reference when deciding what ingredients, such as food dyes, are safe and allowed for their citizens. This can make making decisions around food dyes in the food system challenging and confusing for many.
All things considered, should we ditch food dyes for good?
Let’s take a real-life approach:
- While the research we have is limited, it suggests that it can be beneficial to reduce or avoid food dyes in the diet.
- To avoid getting restrictive or stressed around food, try to take a balanced approach: do your best, focus on offering a varied diet most of the time, and remember that health and nutrition are built over time and that an occasional treat that has food dye is not a cause for concern.
- Foods that commonly have food dyes like candy, sweet drinks, and desserts aren’t particularly nutritious, but they can be a source of joy and connection. It’s okay if a food isn’t nutritionally optimized all the time, fun and joy with foods matter too.
- If you’re planning on removing foods with food dyes, think about what you will replace them with to ensure you, and your child have plenty of nourishing foods to eat.
Remember, good nutrition and health are about what you, your child, and your family do most of the time. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be black and white. You get to decide what your family’s specific recipe of balance looks like – know that it can evolve over time and be flexible for your lifestyle.
Written by:
Venus S. Kalami, MNSP, RD, CSP
Board-Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition
www.venuskalamird.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/venuskalami/
Citations:
1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Color Additives History. FDA. Published March 29, 2022. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history
2 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Color Additives History. FDA. Published March 29, 2022. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history
3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Color Additives for Use in the United States in Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices. FDA. Published March 7, 2024. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/summary-color-additives-use-united-states-foods-drugs-cosmetics-and-medical-devices
4 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Color Additives History. FDA. Published March 29, 2022. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history
5 California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Health Effects Assessment: Potential Neurobehavioral Effects of Synthetic Food Dyes in Children. Published April 16, 2021. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/risk-assessment/report/healthefftsassess041621.pdf
6 California Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Health Effects Assessment: Potential Neurobehavioral Effects of Synthetic Food Dyes in Children. Public review draft. Published August 28, 2020. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/risk-assessment/report/fooddyesassessmentdraft082820.pdf
7 Miller MD, Steinmaus C, Golub MS, et al. Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence. Environ Health. 2022;21(1):45. Published 2022 Apr 29. doi:10.1186/s12940-022-00849-9
8 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA to Revoke Authorization for the Use of Red No. 3 in Food and Ingested Drugs. FDA. Published January 15, 2025. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-revoke-authorization-use-red-no-3-food-and-ingested-drugs
9 Kobylewski S, Jacobson MF. Toxicology of food dyes. Int J Occup Envir9n Health. 2012;18(3):220-246. doi:10.1179/1077352512Z.00000000034
1
10 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FD&C Red No. 3. FDA. Published January 15, 2025. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/fdc-red-no-3
11 Hwang K. California is banning artificial food dyes in school snacks and drinks. CalMatters. Published September 29, 2024. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://calmatters.org/health/2024/09/food-dye-ban-schools/
12 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Supports State Legislation Banning Harmful Food Dyes From School Lunches in West Virginia. HHS. Published March 28, 2025. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/west-virginia-morrisey-ban-food-dyes-schools-snap.html
13 U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FD&C Red No. 3. FDA. Published January 15, 2025. Accessed May 11, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/fdc-red-no-3
