Consumer Reports delivers petition to FDA signed by nearly 80,000 consumers calling for a ban on dangerous food chemical
WASHINGTON – Consumer Reports is alerting consumers that Candy Corn, Autumn Mix, and Mellowcreme Pumpkins candy, made by Brach’s, contain Red Dye 3, a known carcinogen. Other candies popular around Halloween are also made with the harmful synthetic dye, including Double Bubble bubble gum, Nerds Candy Corn, Pez Candy, Amos Lollipop Rings, and Create-A-Treat Halloween House cookie kits. CR is calling on companies to use safer ingredients and delivered a petition today to the FDA signed by almost 80,000 consumers urging the agency to prohibit Red Dye 3 in food.
A spot check conducted by CR of discount stores found that some were still selling candies that contained Red Dye 3, even though these same products are now made without the chemical and available at major grocery stores. Among the candies found at discount stores with Red Dye 3 are Hot Tamales and Amos Bubble Gum Eyeballs.
Red Dye 3 is a synthetic dye made from petroleum that gives food and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. It is banned in Europe and will be outlawed in food in California beginning in 2027. In October 2022, CR joined the Center for Science in the Public Interest and other groups to urge the FDA to ban the cancer-causing ingredient in food, dietary supplements, and ingested drugs. The FDA has not yet acted on the petition.
“Parents should know that Brach’s Candy Corn, Double Bubble bubble gum, Pez, and other treats their kids may bring home on Halloween are made with an ingredient that is a known carcinogen,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. “These manufacturers should stop making products with this dangerous chemical since less risky alternatives are readily available.”
Ronholm continued, “It’s been over 30 years since the FDA banned Red Dye 3 in cosmetics after it was found to cause cancer in animals, but it’s still allowed in our food. It’s time for the FDA to protect the public and get this toxic dye out of the food we eat.”
For decades, the FDA has been aware of multiple studies showing that Red Dye 3 can cause cancer in animals. Several studies have linked some artificial food dyes, including Red Dye 3, to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral effects in children. While Red Dye 3 poses risks to people of all ages, young children may be most vulnerable because of their small body weight and higher levels of exposure.
According to the Environmental Working Group, nearly 2,900 food products on the market today contain Red Dye 3, including many artificially flavored and artificially colored candy marketed to children. The FDA requires manufacturers to list Red Dye 3 as an ingredient on a food’s label.
Michael McCauley, michael.mccauley@consumer.org