Red Dye 40: Side Effects, Foods, Alternatives, & More - GoodRx (2024)

Think about some of your favorite snacks from childhood. Maybe your list of go-tos included colorful slushies, push-up pops, gummies, pudding cups, and pouches of fruit punch. There’s something that all of these seemingly different treats share in common: Many are made with artificial colors.

If you ever wondered why a cherry-flavored popsicle would temporarily stain your tongue red, while a real cherry wouldn’t even leave a trace, the answer is likely red dye 40.

What is red dye 40?

Red dye 40 is an artificial color that’s added to processed foods, medications, and cosmetics. Red 40 is currently 1 of 9 color additives certified by the FDA. Three of these — red 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6 — account for 90% of all food dyes used in the U.S. In fact, a 2016 study suggests red 40 is the most commonly used artificial food coloring in grocery items geared toward kids.

Is red 40 bad for you?

It’s not totally clear based on the current research. Some human studies show negative health effects, others don’t. Or it’s hard to make definitive statements about the results based on the study’s design. To add to that, many studies are done on animals. So the results can’t be applied to humans directly.

But the Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that red dye 40 does raise health concerns. Here’s what we know so far.

Hyperactivity

One of the most common causes of concern is red dye 40’s potential association with hyperactivity in children. This led to a 2022 review by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to see if there was a link.

Researchers found that about a quarter of the studies they examined showed an association between red 40 and hyperactivity. The researchers concluded that the FDA’s current standards for how much red dye 40 is safe are based on outdated data, and that the allowed amount is too high.

But keep in mind that based on available evidence so far, red dye 40 won’t affect the behavior of most children. It seems that it only affects children who are particularly sensitive to it, which is difficult to determine.

The bottom line is that the FDA maintains that red dye 40 is safe in small amounts. But these amounts may not be small enough for particularly sensitive kids. Either way, more research is needed.

Allergic reactions

Red 40 is among at least four food dyes (along with blue 1, yellow 5, and yellow 6) that can cause allergic reactions. These particular reactions are rare. And when they do occur, they’re usually mild and involve some kind of skin reaction. Anaphylaxis and other severe reactions are uncommon.

Bladder cancer

A 2012 review reported that red dye 40, yellow 5, and yellow 6 have all been found to be contaminated with carcinogens. Carcinogens are substances that may increase the risk of developing cancer. One of these carcinogens is benzidine, which has been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer.

Whether or not the small amounts of red 40 allowed in foods by the FDA definitely lead to bladder cancer is unclear. We need more research to better understand how much of a cancer risk red dye 40 might be.

Foods that contain red dye 40

While it’s more obvious in some foods, not all of the products that contain red 40 are a shade of red. This artificial food coloring hides in many processed grocery items, including:

• Breakfast cereals

• Sodas and other soft drinks

• Condiments

• Puddings

• Dairy products like ice cream, sherbet, flavored milks, and frozen yogurt

• Baked goods

• Chocolate candy and confections

• Fruit juices

• Fruit gummy snacks

• Sports drinks

• Energy drinks

• Jello

• Chewing gum

Several over-the-counter medications and vitamins also contain red 40.

What is red 40 made from, and how is it regulated?

Color additives are primarily made from petroleum, or crude oil, a fossil fuel. Without getting too technical, scientists change the chemical structure of these raw materials to create a concentrated, water-soluble dye. Once the dyes are created, they’re “rigorously tested” to ensure that they don’t contain any traces of petroleum before they’re added to food products.

It’s the FDA’s job to ensure that color additives are used appropriately and safely.

“In the approval process, the FDA evaluates safety data to ensure that a color additive is safe for its intended purposes,” a spokesperson for the FDA wrote in an email to GoodRx. “Color additives that [the] FDA has found to cause cancer in animals or humans may not be used in FDA-regulated products marketed in the United States.”

That being said, red dye 40 has been more strictly regulated in other countries, including the United Kingdom. This is due to increasing concerns around other health issues, especially its potential behavioral effects on children.

What are some ways to avoid red 40?

If you want to avoid red 40 in your foods and other products, your best bet is to take a look at the label. Keep in mind that the higher up the dye is on the ingredient list, the higher the concentration of it in the product.

“The FDA requires food manufacturers to list all ingredients on the label, with the ingredients used in the greatest amount [listed] first, followed in descending order by those in smaller amounts,” an FDA spokesperson also wrote in an email to GoodRx, referring to color additives.

Here are other names you might see red dye 40 go by on product packaging:

• Red 40

• Red 40 Lake

• Allura Red AC

• FD&C Red No. 40

• FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake

• Allura Red AC

• CI Food Red 17

• CI 16035

• INS No. 129

• E129

• Fancy red

If you want to make colorful, homemade cupcakes and icing, there are several ways you can spruce up your sweet creations without using traditional food dyes like red 40. For example, pigment from fruits and vegetables, like grapes and beets, can yield a red color. Some gel food colorants are also made with natural ingredients if you don’t want to worry about trying to create dye at home.