A recent ban to phase out Red dye No. 3 has now expanded to other artificial food colors. So which food colors are being eliminated and where are they used? These are typically found in candy, soda, baked goods, cereals, and also some vitamins and medications.
In a report from Virginia Tech, here is the target list, some food examples, and possible natural options.
- Blue 1 and Blue 2
- Blue 1 is found in products such as Cool Blue Gatorade, M&M’s and Baja Blast Mountain Dew. Blue 2 is also found in M&M’s and cereals such as Boo Berry.
- Natural alternatives include extracts from blue-green algae, butterfly pea flowers, or gardenias.
- Red 40
- Red 40 is found in products such as M&M’s, cherry Jello-O, and strawberry Yoo-hoo.
- Natural alternatives include juices and extracts from beets, red cabbage, hibiscus, red grapes, tomatoes, pomegrantes, and sweet potatoes or with carmine from chocnineal insects.
- Yellow 5 and Yellow 6
- Yellow 5 is found in products such as M&m’s, Baja Blast Mountain Dew, Sunny D and Doritos. Yellow 6 is found in M&M’s, Sunny D, Jolly Ranchers, Doritos, and Cheetos.
- Natural alternatives include extracts from annatto, turmeric, paprika, caramel, carrot, pumpkin, or carotene.
- Green 3
- Green 3 is found in products such as lime sherbet and canned vegetables.
- Natural alternatives include blue and yellow natural dyes.
- Citrus Red 2 and Orange B
- Citrus Red 2 is applied to the rind of navel oranges.
- Orange B makes hot dog casings and sausages look more appealing.
- There may not be a natural alternative for these.
There will be many challenges for food manufacturers to make these changes. Natural dyes are expensive and consumer acceptability is important. Natural colors don’t react well to heat or acidity. These changes will take time, but the initial goal is to phase out these colors by the end of 2026.
