Home → Food Science → Food Coloring Safety: The History, Science, and 2027 FDA Red No. 3 Ban

Food Coloring Safety: The History, Science, and 2027 FDA Red No. 3 Ban

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There is a lot of confusion surrounding additives used to color manufactured foods. Artificial food dyes, more properly called synthetic food dyes, are a cause for grave concern for many consumers, and for good reason.  After all, not only do we read articles telling us how dangerous these dyes may be (carcinogenic, mutagenic), but we see some of them being banned from use in the United States and abroad.  Is this concern always based on facts? Recently, the artificial food color Red #3 was banned by the FDA. Does this mean that the color additive is dangerous to humans? The answer is no. 

Foods with food coloring: Blue Macaroons and Green Jello and small bottles of food coloring

⚠️ 2026-2027 Regulatory Update

Since this article was first published, the FDA has announced major changes to the list of approved synthetic dyes. FD&C Red No. 3 has been officially revoked for use in food, with a final compliance deadline of January 15, 2027. Additionally, the FDA is currently working with the food industry to voluntarily phase out the remaining six petroleum-based dyes (including Red 40 and Yellow 5) by the end of 2026.

  • The Red No. 3 Phase-Out: Following a 2025 order, the FDA has officially revoked the authorization for FD&C Red No. 3 in foods and ingested drugs, with a final compliance deadline of January 15, 2027.
  • Abandoned Dyes: The FDA recently moved to revoke authorization for Orange B because it is no longer being used by the industry.
  • New “Natural” Blue: In 2025, the FDA granted new petitions for natural blue sources like Butterfly pea flower extract and Galdieria extract blue, giving manufacturers more alternatives to synthetic dyes.

Navigating the Food Color Landscape

With over 100 years of history and a rapidly shifting regulatory environment, the science of food coloring can be as complex as it is colorful. This guide is a comprehensive deep dive into everything from the early “Margarine Wars” to the latest 2027 FDA Red No. 3 ban. Here you will find a comprensive guide to food colors, including the chemistry behind synthetic dyes, an explanation of what’s in those food coloring boxes at the grocery store, and so much more. Of special interest is a link to a discussion of the socioeconomic impact of coloring bans. You can use the jump links below to navigate directly to the sections that interest you most.

Why Was Red #3 Banned? (2026 Update)

The food color additive Red #3 was banned due to the “Delaney Clause.” There is no data, whatsoever to suggest that Red #3 causes cancer in humans or, in fact, any other animal than rats fed huge amounts of it. The mechanism that causes this cancer in rats does not exist in humans. The Delaney Clause, enacted in 1960, is and FDA clause stating that a food color additive must be banned from use if it is found to cause cancer in ANY laboratory animal. This occurs regardless of whether studies in humans or other animals find the opposite, which is the case here. 

The Final Ruling: January 15, 2027

Following years of pressure from consumer advocacy groups and a formal petition in late 2022, the FDA officially revoked the authorization for Red No. 3 in all food and ingested drugs.

  • The Deadline: Manufacturers have until January 15, 2027, to completely remove the dye from their products.
  • The “Delaney Clause” Factor: The ban is rooted in the 1960 Delaney Clause, which requires the FDA to ban any additive found to cause cancer in laboratory animals, regardless of the dose or relevance to human biology.

The Rat vs. Human Debate

As you noted, the original studies showed that extremely high doses of Red No. 3 caused thyroid tumors in male rats. However:

  • Human Mechanism: Scientists have long argued that the specific hormonal pathway that led to these tumors in rats simply does not exist in humans.
  • Safety Consensus: Most global health organizations, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have maintained that the dye is safe at the levels typically consumed by people.

The “Delaney Clause” Factor

As discussed earlier in this article, the current move to ban Red No. 3 is deeply rooted in the 1960 Delaney Clause. This federal law is uncompromising: it requires the FDA to ban any food additive found to cause cancer in laboratory animals, regardless of how high the dose was or whether the biological mechanism even applies to humans.

Why The Ban Now?

The primary driver for the current ban wasn’t new science, but a change in the legal landscape. For 30 years, the FDA avoided a full ban on the “food” use of the dye because it was on a “provisional list”. Recent legal challenges forced the agency to apply the Delaney Clause strictly, leading to the 2027 phase-out.

Many consumers say, “Who cares? I’m all for artificial colors being banned.” It makes no difference anyway. This exposes the vast misunderstandings that exist about artificial colors used in foods. Why are colors used in food at all, and why not use natural colors? And, what is the difference between artificial colors and natural colors? Both good questions — and there are many more questions, and misconceptions, concerning the use of added coloring in food. Let’s start with some basic questions.

While the Red No. 3 ban is rooted in the Delaney Clause, the movement to remove all synthetic dyes has broader social implications. Read more about the debate over banning artificial colors and its impact on food deserts.

What Exactly is a Food Coloring?

We may as well go straight to the FDA, which refers to food coloring as color additives: “A color additive is a dye, pigment, or other substance made by a process of synthesis or similar means, or extracted, isolated, or otherwise derived, with or without intermediate or final change of identity, from vegetable, animal, or other sources, that when added to a food imparts color to it.”

That is not the exact wording, and the definition also includes drugs and cosmetics, but that should do for a working definition. According to this definition, food colors are anything that is intended to add color to a food. They can be synthesized and many are. But some are extracted, or isolated from some naturally occurring material. So, not all food colors are created in a lab. You can get colors from minerals and plants, for example. And, one authorized color additive comes from an insect!  

Food coloring chemicals generally fall into three categories:

  • synthetic organic compounds (which are the FD&C) colors)
  • mineral or synthetic inorganic colors (like iron oxide)
  • natural coloring from vegetables or animals (vegetable and fruit juices, or color extracts).

Why Do They Put Coloring in Foods?

Well, it’s not just “they” who do it — we all do. Why do we add tomato paste to a sauce or soup? Won’t tomatoes do the job? We add tomato paste, not only for a concentrated tomato flavor but to get a deeper, richer-looking ‘tomato’ color. Adding color to our food makes the food look more appetizing, and our eyes inform our stomachs as much as smell and taste do. Our eyes provide us with the first judgment, and if the food doesn’t pass this first test, we may not eat it. Color matters, pure and simple.

Our Early Exposure to Color in Foods

Think about it; from an early age, we learn what colors go with what foods, and we learn to associate the vividness of these colors with the quality of said food. If a dark green vegetable looks grayish green and “lifeless” we know it’s not fresh or good quality. When a sliced apple turns brown, we know it has been sitting around for a while. We even figure an egg with a rich dark yellow yolk will be tastier than one with a light and dull yellow yolk.

And what’s more, we’d probably be correct. But those are the colors of single foods as they come to us from nature. Once we start combining foods in the presence of heat, acids, etc. the colors change, and not always for the better. Therefore, we try to augment these colors with additional ingredients that often are used only for that purpose. 

All sorts of things are added to common home recipes to add color — it is not just the province of manufactured foods. What you may not realize is that if coloring were not added to many of the foods you buy, you might think they were of low quality, owing to an inconsistency in color, or the colors being muted or dull.

Paprika and turmeric do as much for color as they do for taste. One of the most expensive food ingredients you can buy, saffron, is prized as much for the rich yellow color it imparts as for the flavor it brings. Color additives, therefore, make food more attractive and appetizing. They even help us to identify the foods we buy and eat.

Are the bright, deep colorants that are used in today’s food necessary? Of course not, and it can be difficult to justify, especially when the colors come from a lab instead of from nature. But you must realize that the uniformity and attractiveness you have grown to expect in manufactured foods would not be possible without them. Can you imagine M&M’s without food dyes? You would have grown up being unable to enjoy saving all the green ones for last! 

But, let’s be more pragmatic. We expect a product that tastes, for instance, like a strawberry, to be the color of a strawberry. This is purely instinctive. In reality, it is not logical for a drink flavored with strawberries to be the exact color of a strawberry, but we identify the color with the fruit, and so “strawberry-colored” soda, for example, is more appealing than clear strawberry soda.

This may be changing as clear drinks come on the market with the word “natural” attached to them, but this has entailed its own marketing campaign. What’s more, most of these products fail. Crystal Pepsi is an example.

Try your own experiment and infuse a drink with a fruit flavor. It is not reasonable to expect it to be the original color of the fruit, but it is no more reasonable to expect it to appear as clear as water! Each instance is a manipulation, whether the product’s color is exaggerated through dyes, or whether the flavor is completely artificial and no color is imparted to the product.

Neither is “natural” in any true sense of the word, if there is a true sense. The soda maker may try to use a “naturally occurring” pigment, but these have many failings as they are not stable in all conditions. A consistent color would be very difficult to come by, and regardless of how much consumers cry out for ‘natural’ products, they expect consistency in those products!

The reason that food colors are added to foods is the same reason that professional chefs pay close attention to how food is arranged on a plate and the balance of colors in a dish.

Flavor and Color Perception are Closely Linked

Flavor and color perception are closely linked. When colorants are used correctly, they are there to enhance the appearance of food that is already of good quality and safe to eat. Colorings should never be used to cover up bad food! However, the idea that the only purpose of food colorings is to provide aesthetic appeal to foods overlooks the close link between the coloring of food and our perception of its quality and healthiness.

No matter the importance, though, it is hard to argue that the large range of colorings — some of which may have unknown effects on the body — is essential.

What Are Natural Food Colors?

It is almost impossible to define “natural” food colors in one consistent way. For instance, caramel, an absolute workhorse of food color, comes from organic sugars, amino acids, or amides. These could be called natural in that they are produced by biological systems, in nature. However, the caramel color itself does not come from these systems. Instead, the sugars or proteins are modified to produce the color.

Indigo blue, perhaps one of the most important and well-known plant dyes in history (gives the blue color to blue jeans) is natural, or at least it was, coming from a plant glycoside, indican. But indican is colorless! The leaves of the plant had to be processed, hydrolyzed, and oxidized, to turn the indican a blue color.

Therefore, when it comes to colors coming from biological organisms, the definition has to be expanded, or the word natural will lose all meaning. Pigments may come from living (or dead) cells, but may be altered in some way to affect their usefulness. 

Natural colors can come from minerals, as well. In the 19th century, colorants derived from minerals were introduced into food products and led to very serious health problems. Lead chromate and copper sulfate, used to color candies and sauerkraut, were contaminated with arsenic and other toxins, causing deaths.

Some mineral colors are no longer permitted to be used for food coloring, such as calcium carbonate (allowed in drugs), carbon black, ferric chloride, and ferrous sulfate. By the same token, some naturally occurring food colorings of plant origin are permanently banned.

Natural substances that have been used for food coloring include carmine, paprika, saffron, turmeric, carrot oil, beet extract, and vegetable and fruit juices. Also, some natural nutrients can be used to color food, such as riboflavin and beta-carotene. Several natural food colorants that were used in the past have been banned from use in the United States:

Banned Natural Food Colors

  • Alkanet: dyers’ bugloss, Alkanna tinctoria of the borage family, used for a red dye
  • Cudbear: Orcein, also archil, orchil, lacmus, Citrus Red 2, and C.I. Natural Red 28, dyes from orchella weeds, a species of lichen
  • Logwood (chips and extract): Haematoxylum campechianum, a tree with a dark heartwood, from which a purplish-red dye is obtained
  • Safflower: Carthamus tinctorius, also called American saffron or bastard saffron, the flowers make red and yellow dyes

The FDA Does Not Classify Food Colors as Artificial versus Natural

The public is very quick to attack anything synthetic and embrace that seen as natural, but the FDA does not recognize any type of food colorant as natural because the addition of any type of color to food results in an artificially colored product.

The public is often quick to embrace anything labeled ‘natural,’ but this shift away from synthetics isn’t without controversy. I explored this further in my look at minority rule and the push to ban food dyes.

This is not to say that the agency does not differentiate synthetically produced colors from those derived from natural sources, only that all colorings are subject to safety standards and approval for use.

Definition of Artificial Colors

This is a cause for general confusion. People speak of “artificial colors” while thinking of “colors made in a lab”, but in reality any time a food is intentionally colored beyond that which is present naturally in the food, it is artificially colored, and this is really what is meant by something being artificially colored. It is the process of intentionally changing the color of food beyond its original appearance, regardless of where the colorant comes from.

When caramel color is added to Coca Cola® it is being artificially colored, although caramel coloring is derived from natural sources. Therefore, the term artificial color refers to a colorant used to artificially add color to a food. As stated above, the term artificial is often used interchangeably with synthetic, but this usage is not technically correct.

Whatever they are called, certain natural colors are exempt from certification and permanently listed for food use. This does mean that “natural” colors are not subject to some type of premarket approval process, only that these particular colors do not have to be batch-certified by the FDA.

The FDA classifies colors as either certified or exempt from certification. According to the agency: Certified colors are synthetically produced (or human-made) and used widely because they impart an intense, uniform color, are less expensive, and blend more easily to create a variety of hues.

There are nine certified color additives approved for use in the United States Certified food colors generally do not add undesirable flavors to foods.

Colors that are exempt from certification include pigments derived from natural sources such as vegetables, minerals, or animals. Nature-derived color additives are typically more expensive than certified colors and may add unintended flavors to foods.

Examples of exempt colors include annatto extract (yellow), dehydrated beets (bluish-red to brown), caramel (yellow to tan), beta-carotene (yellow to orange), and grape skin extract (red, green).

Why Is the Term Artificial Color So Important?

You may be thinking that calling all synthetic colorings “artificial” and calling naturally derived colors “not artificial” makes perfect sense, despite the above. Let’s imagine a scenario in which food labeling permits the use of the term artificial. Say a soda maker uses “natural” caramel coloring and perhaps beet coloring. Therefore, they declare on the label: No Artificial Colors!

This soda maker, confused, thinks that the lack of artificial colors means that he does not need to mention that color additives were used in his product. Now, you, the consumer, are not informed as to the true ingredients in the product. No artificial colors, in this instance, is ambiguous, since its general connotation would be taken to mean that no color, whatsoever, was added to the product, when in fact there was. It is simpler to say that all added colors are color additives, and therefore should be considered “artificial.”

What Does “Color Added” Actually Mean?

The FDA divides color additives into two main groups based on their source and how they are regulated. While we often use the terms “natural” or “artificial,” the official classifications are Certified and Exempt from Certification.

  • Certified Colors (Synthetic): These are human-made dyes, often derived from petroleum. Manufacturers prefer them because they provide intense, uniform color, are highly stable, and are significantly cheaper than natural alternatives.
  • Colors Exempt from Certification (Nature-Derived): These pigments come from plant, animal, or mineral sources. Examples include annatto extract (yellow), dehydrated beets (bluish-red), and carmine (derived from insects).

The Flavor Factor: Unlike synthetic dyes, nature-derived colors can sometimes add unintended flavors—like an earthy or “beety” taste—to the final product.

Food color added, natural color, or any similar terms that contain the words “food” or “natural”, cannot be used. These terms could be taken to mean that the color is a naturally occurring color in the food. If you think about it, you can understand that someone might take the term “food color,” for instance, to mean that the color IS A FOOD.

Likewise, if a label bore the declaration “natural colors,” a consumer might think that the manufacturer was simply saying that “only the natural color of the food is present”. That is, that the colors are natural as opposed to coming from added colors! The FDA considers all added colors to result in artificially colored food, so objects to any added color being declared “natural” or “food.”

FD&C Colors

Any food color additives that are synthetic organic dyes, lakes, or pigments are subject to batch certification. These are generally classified as azo, xanthene, triphenylmethane, and indigoid dyes. Sometimes certifiable color additives are called coal-tar colors because of how they originally derived but, today they are synthesized mainly from raw materials obtained from petroleum. FD&C stands for Food Drug and Cosmetic Act. 

Certified color additives, such as FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Yellow No. 6, etc. must ALL be listed in the ingredients. However, an abbreviation can be used, such as “Blue No. 1” for FD&C Blue No. 1 or “Yellow no. 1” for FD&C Yellow No. 6. 

FD&C has one special proviso: “Foods for human use that contain FD&C Yellow No. 5, including butter, cheese, and ice cream, shall specifically declare the presence of FD&C Yellow No. 5 by listing the color additive as FD&C Yellow No. 5 among the list of ingredients.”

Certified Natural Food Colorings

The list below gives the naturally derived colors that are exempt from certification. Certain colors are listed because they are used as a color additive in feed for chickens or salmon to impart a certain color characteristic to the skin or flesh, or are colors used in cat and dog foods.

There are regulations regarding the total amount that can be used, but those numbers are not included. See the amounts here.

Understanding “Exempt” Natural Colors

The FDA doesn’t “certify” these colors in batches like synthetic dyes, but they are still strictly regulated for specific uses. To make this list easier to digest, we’ve broken it down by how these colors are actually used in the industry.

Common Grocery & General Use

These are the natural pigments you’ll find in everything from snacks to sodas.

  • Annatto Extract: The gold standard for yellow/orange hues in butter and cheese.
  • Carmine & Cochineal: Vibrant reds derived from insects, commonly found in candies and juices.
  • Caramel: Used for tans and deep browns in colas and baked goods.
  • Fruit & Vegetable Juices: Including beet juice, grape skin extract, and carrot oil.
  • Spices: Paprika, Saffron, and Turmeric.

Did You Know? Carmine is actually derived from the cochineal insect. You can read the full story on how this bug-based dye ended up in your food here.

Specialty & Aesthetic Additives

  • Mica-based Pearlescent Pigments: Used to give that “shimmer” or “glitter” effect to frostings, gelatin desserts, and hard candies.
  • Titanium Dioxide: A whitening agent used in everything from salad dressings to confections (restricted to 1.0% by weight).
  • Riboflavin: A B-vitamin that provides a bright pale-yellow color.

Agricultural & Animal Feed Colors

Surprisingly, many natural colors are added to animal feed specifically to change the appearance of the food we eventually eat.

  • Salmonid Fish Feed: Colors like Astaxanthin and Phaffia yeast are added to farmed salmon feed to ensure their flesh has that signature pink/red color.
  • Chicken Feed: Tagetes (Marigold) meal and Algae meal are fed to chickens to enhance the yellow color of their skin and egg yolks.
  • Pet Foods: Iron oxide is frequently used in cat and dog foods to give them a “meaty” red appearance for the owner’s benefit.

* GMP Stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. This designation as to use, means that the color can be generally used in amounts required to gain a desired effect, as consistent with good manufacturing practices.

Where Do The Colors in Vegetables and Fruits Come From, Anyway?

When things go right, nature can indeed make foods of a more pleasing color than the Jelly Belly people could ever hope to. Despite this, there is a synthetic food dye, Citrus Red No. 2, that is permitted for use solely to color the skins of oranges, as long as those oranges are not going to be processed in any way. Incidentally, this is the only synthetic colorant that the Center for Science in the Public Interest did not petition to be banned. Apparently, CFSAN is not aware of all the hyperactive kids with an orange peel-licking habit!

So, besides the occasional cheat, where do the real colors in fruits and vegetables come from? The green colors in plants come from chlorophylls, which are pigments in leafy vegetables, fruits, algae, and photosynthetic bacteria (cyanobacteria) which absorb light and use the energy to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. It can also impart color to food and when isolated is a deep green.

Carotenoid pigments, such as carotenes and xanthophylls have color ranging from yellow to a dark, almost crimson red. They give yellow and orange colors to fruits and vegetables. Beta carotene, perhaps the most well-known, is what makes carrots orange. Perhaps less familiar, astaxanthin gives the flesh of salmon its pink color, derived from the algae that the salmon eat. Lycopene is another carotenoid, found in tomatoes and red peppers.

Over 100 different types of carotenoids have been isolated and identified, but only three are commonly used for food coloring: beta carotene, apocarotenal (shown above as Beta-Apo-8′-carotenal), and canthaxanthin. Most of these are synthetically manufactured and do not need to be batch-certified. Today, more than 90% of colors added to foods are synthetic.

  • Beta carotene – orange to yellow color, general use.
  • Apacarotenal – comes from spinach and citrus fruits, and is a precursor to Vitamin A like beta carotene but with 50% less pro-vitamin activity. Orange to orange-red color. Tends to be used along with annatto in fat-based foods such as margarine, salad dressing, dairy products, etc.
  • Canthaxanthin – the active substance in tanning pills, it builds up in the panniculus and gives quite a fake-looking, golden-orange color to the skin. This use and the build-up of the substance in the retinas called its use in foods into question, but the amounts used in tanning pills are much, much greater, and the crystal build-up is reversible after cessation of tanning pill use. Permitted for general food use in the U.S., but in the U.K., it’s only permitted for use in Saucisses de Strasbourg, as well as poultry feeds. 

Red, violet, and blue colors come from anthocyanins. These are polyphenolic compounds in flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Lots of anthocyanins are present in berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, and black currants. Besides being famed, along with carotenoids, for their antioxidant properties, they are used widely to color candies and soft drinks.

Part of the names of many substances are prefixes or suffixes that imply a certain color. For instance, chloro- in chlorophyll comes from the Greek chloros, meaning a yellow-green color. 

  • -cyanin suffix in anthocyanin comes from the Greek kyanos, meaning a blue color.
  • xanth- as in xanthophyll comes from the Greek xanthos, meaning a yellow color.
  • –flavin: as in riboflavin, from the Latin flavus, meaning pale-yellow.
  • mela-: as in melanin, from the Greek melas, meaning black (although not all melanins are black).
  • lute-: As in Lutein, from the Greek word luteus, meaning a yellow color.

What Are the Problems with These Colors?

Chlorophylls are unstable to heat and insoluble in water. So, chlorophyll, usually copper chlorophyllin, also sold as a dietary supplement, is only useful as an added color, not a primary one. Anthocyanins are unstable outside an acid pH range. Carotenoids, always associated with chlorophyll, are unstable pigments and are sensitive to light, oxygen, and peroxide. Some are soluble in water — lychromes — but others — lipochromes — are not.

Likewise, some are stable in acid and some are not, etc. Besides their stability and uniformity, naturally derived colors may also add an undesired flavor to food. Synthetic colors are stronger, give more intense colors, and they can be used in smaller quantities to give the same effect. They are also often less expensive. When this is taken into account with the stability and lower cost, it is no wonder they are used so extensively over naturally derived colorings.

What Was the First Food to Which Color Was Officially Added in the U.S.?

Butter was probably the first food to have color added in the United States. The coloration of dairy products, in general, was the first to be subject to governmental regulation. Butter does not always come out the same color. Due to the cow’s feed butter color changes from winter to summer. In the winter, when the cows eat dried grains, the color will tend to be a pale yellow, while in the summer, when they eat green grasses, it will be a deep yellow.

The Margarine War: When Food Color Became a Crime

While we take yellow margarine for granted today, its color was once the center of a 75-year legislative battle. Invented in 1869 as a cheap butter alternative, margarine is naturally white—a shade many 19th-century consumers found unappetizingly like lard. When manufacturers began dyeing it yellow to mimic butter, the dairy industry fought back with a vengeance.

The “Yellow Tax” and the Rise of Bootleggers

In 1886, the U.S. Congress passed the Oleomargarine Act, which levied a tax on the product and required expensive licenses for sellers. By 1902, the law was tightened:

  • Colored Margarine: Taxed at a staggering 10 cents per pound (over $3.00 today).
  • White Margarine: Taxed at only a fraction of a cent.

This effectively made pre-colored margarine a luxury item, sparking a black market where “oleo bootleggers” smuggled yellow margarine across state lines.

🧈 Dig Deeper: The Strange History of Margarine

Want to know why margarine was invented in the first place? It involves a prize from Napoleon III and a search for a cheap butter substitute for the navy. Read the full Strange History of Margarine here.

The Pink Laws: Forced Discoloration

Some states went even further. To ensure no one could “mistake” margarine for butter, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Minnesota passed laws requiring margarine to be dyed bright pink. The logic? Pink milk was a sign of a diseased cow, so the color was chosen specifically to be off-putting. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually struck down these “pink laws” as unconstitutional, ruling that states couldn’t force the adulteration of a healthy food.

🌸 Did You Know?

Vermont and New Hampshire didn’t just want to tax margarine; they wanted to make it look intentionally unappetizing by dyeing it bright pink. Find out if margarine was really dyed pink and why the Supreme Court eventually stepped in.

The “Color Kwik” Workaround

Manufacturers found a loophole: they sold white margarine with a separate “color berry” or capsule of yellow dye. Families would sit around the kitchen table kneading the dye into the plastic bag until the spread turned yellow.

Lore Highlight: The federal tax wasn’t repealed until 1950, and Wisconsin—the “Dairy State”—famously held out on its ban of yellow margarine until 1967.

How Does the FDA Classify Colors?

The FDA classifies color additives as either straight color dyes, lakes, or mixtures. Straight colors are color additives that have not been mixed or chemically reacted with any other substance (for example, FD&C Blue No. 1 or Blue 1).

  • Dyes dissolve in water and come in the form of powders, granules, liquids, or other special-purpose forms. They are used in beverages, dry mixes, baked goods, confections, dairy products, pet foods, and a variety of other products.
  • Lakes are formed by chemically reacting straight colors with precipitants and substrates (for example, Blue 1 Lake).
  • Lakes for food use must be made from certified batches of straight colors. (One exception is carmine, which is a lake made from cochineal extract.) Lakes for food use are made with aluminum cation as the precipitant and aluminum hydroxide as the substratum.
  • Lakes are the water-insoluble form of the dye. Lakes are more stable than dyes and are ideal for coloring products containing fats and oils or items lacking sufficient moisture to dissolve dyes. Typical uses include coated tablets, cake and doughnut mixes, hard candies, and chewing gums.
  • Mixtures are color additives formed by mixing one color additive with one or more other color additives or non-colored diluents, without a chemical reaction (for example, food inks used to mark confectionery).

For food colors, white, black, and grey are also considered colors. Also, a chemical that is added to a food and which reacts with another substance to form a color may be considered a color additive. For example, dihydroxyacetone (DHA), when applied to the skin, reacts with the protein of the skin to impart color. Even though DHA is colorless, it acts as a color additive when used for this purpose, and is thus regulated as a color additive.

What Are Synthetic Food Dyes?

In 1856, W.H. Perkins derived synthetic colors from coal tars, and opened the first synthetic coloring factory, to make a mauve or aniline purple color. Others soon made similar dyes and they quickly came to be used to color foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Because these dyes were first produced from by-products of coal processing, they were known as coal-tar colors or coal-tar dyes.

A breakthrough came in 1860 when Peter Geis discovered the diazonium coupling reaction. Soon, a great number of colors were being made from coal tar and other petroleum derivatives, such as para red, lithal red, and hansa yellow. These began to be used in food by the start of the 1900s. Red No. 3 (now infamous) was introduced in 1905.

By 1938, about 200 synthetic colors were listed by the FDA on a provisional basis. Most of these remained until 1960. In all, there are about 700 of these coal-tar dyes.

What Are FD&C Colors?

FDA regulations apply to not only food but also to dietary supplements, drugs, and cosmetics. Since color dyes are also used in drugs and cosmetics, as well as food, and not all the same dyes are permitted for use in all regulated products, there must be some way to separate the colors into definable categories.

Therefore, FD&C colors are coloring compounds approved for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics. D&C colors are permitted to be used in drugs meant for internal use and for cosmetics that may come into contact with mucous membranes.

And then there are external D&C colors, which can only be used for externally applied drugs (and for cosmetics) but not for use on lips or cosmetics that may come into contact with mucous membranes.

What Are Some Synthetic FD&C Colors That Have Been Banned Through the Years?

The following chart lists some of the FD&C colors that were originally provisionally listed and then delisted later on.

FD&C ColorCommon NameYear ListedYear Banned
Red No. 1Ponceau 3R19071961
Red No. 2Amaranth19071976
Orange No. 1Orange 119071956
Yellow No. 1Naphthol Yellow S19071959
Green No. 2Light Green SD Yellowish19071966
Yellow No. 3Yellow AB19181959
Green No. 1Guinea Green B19221966
Red No. 4Ponceau SX19291976
Yellow No. 2Naphthol Yellow S19391959
Orange No. 2Orange SS19391956
Red No. 32Oil Read XO19391956
Violet No. 1Benzyl Violet 4B19501973
FD&C ColorCommon NameYear ListedYear Banned
Red No. 1Ponceau 3R19071961
Red No. 2Amaranth19071976
Orange No. 1Orange 119071956
Yellow No. 1Naphthol Yellow S19071959
Green No. 2Light Green SD Yellowish19071966
Yellow No. 3Yellow AB19181959
Green No. 1Guinea Green B19221966
Red No. 4Ponceau SX19291976
Yellow No. 2Naphthol Yellow S19391959
Orange No. 2Orange SS19391956
Red No. 32Oil Read XO19391956
Violet No. 1Benzyl Violet 4B19501973

In addition to these, numerous D&C colors have been banned from use.

What Synthetic Colors Are Now Allowed?

While there used to be hundreds of provisional dyes, today there are only nine certified synthetic colors approved for food use in the U.S.

The 7 General Use Dyes

  • FD&C Blue No. 1 – (Brilliant Blue): Common in beverages and dairy.
  • FD&C Blue No. 2 – (Indigotine): Primarily used in baked goods, cereals, and snack foods.
  • FD&C Green No. 3 – (Fast Green): The minty sea-green dye common in beverages and dairy used in mint-flavored products and gelatin.
  • FD&C Red No. 3 – (Erythrosine): Used in maraschino cherries. *Revoked effective 2027
  • FD&C Red No. 40 – (Allura Red): The most widely used red dye.
  • FD&C Yellow No. 5 – (Tartrazine): Found in chips, pickles, and beverages.
  • FD&C Yellow No. 6 – (Sunset Yellow): Used in cereals, desserts, and snack foods.

Dyes with Strict Limitations

  • Citrus Red No. 2: Only allowed for coloring the skins of whole oranges.
  • Orange B: Only permitted for use in frankfurter and sausage casings.

How Are Custom Food Colors Created?

While there are only seven primary certified dyes allowed for general use, manufacturers (and home bakers) can create an infinite rainbow by blending them. Just like mixing paint, the ratio of these dyes determines the final hue.

The Art of the Blend

  • Greens: Most shades of green are achieved by blending FD&C Blue No. 1 (blue shade) and FD&C Yellow No. 5 (yellow shade).
  • Oranges: Vibrant oranges come from mixing FD&C Yellow No. 6 (orange shade), Yellow No. 5 (yellow shade), and FD&C Red No. 40 (red shade).
  • Grapes & Purples: These are typically created by blending the dark blue of FD&C Blue No. 2 with the red or pink shades of Red No. 40 or Red No. 3.
  • The Hardest Color: Black remains the most difficult to standardize. It requires a precise balance of the dark blue of Blue No. 2, the orange of Yellow No. 6, and the red of Red No. 40. Even a tiny shift can turn the “black” into a muddy purple or the bluish-green shade of Green No. 3.

Common Industrial Blend Ratios (By Weight)

To help you visualize how these colors are built, here are the formulas used to create common commercial shades:

Desired ShadePrimary Base Colors
StrawberryMostly Red No. 2 with a splash of Yellow 6 and Red 40
Chocolate BrownA complex mix of Blue 1, Red 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6
Mint GreenA nearly 50/50 split of Blue 1 and Yellow 5
Grape/WineA heavy base of Red 2 balanced with Blue 1 and Yellow 6
Desired ShadePrimary Base Colors
StrawberryMostly Red No. 2 with a splash of Yellow 6 and Red 40
Chocolate BrownA complex mix of Blue 1, Red 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6
Mint GreenA nearly 50/50 split of Blue 1 and Yellow 5
Grape/WineA heavy base of Red 2 balanced with Blue 1 and Yellow 6

Baker’s Tip: When using liquid colors from the grocery store, “Red” is often a blend of Red No. 40 and Red No. 3 to achieve that classic bright cherry look.

What Kinds of Food Are Most Likely to Use Food Colors?

While almost any processed food can contain color additives, certain industries rely on them heavily to maintain visual consistency and brand identity.

1. Beverages: The #1 User of Food Dyes

The beverage industry is the largest consumer of food colorants. Beyond just “looking good,” colors help us identify flavor before the first sip:

  • Colas & Root Beers: Almost exclusively use caramel coloring.
  • Fruit Sodas: Often use complex blends, like Yellow No. 5 and Blue No. 1 to create a “Lime” green.
  • Energy & Sports Drinks: Use high-intensity certified colors to signal flavor “intensity”.

2. Bakery Products & Candies

In the bakery, colors aren’t just for frostings; they are often baked into the dough to ensure a uniform “golden-brown” or “chocolate” look.

  • Industrial Baking: Dyes prevent cookies and fillings from looking “gray” or dull after long shelf lives.
  • Candy: Often mixes natural and synthetic colors, such as Hershey’s Good and Plenty, which uses both carmine and Red No. 40.

3. The “Hidden” Colors in Dairy

You might be surprised to find color in savory dairy products:

  • Butter & Margarine: Often use beta-carotene or annatto to maintain a rich yellow hue regardless of the season or cow’s diet.
  • Cheeses: Iconic “Cheddar” orange is almost always achieved through added anatto extract.

4. Dry Mixes & Pet Foods

  • Boxed Cake Mixes: Often contain small amounts of yellow dyes to make the finished cake look “eggy” and rich.
  • Pet Food: Colors like iron oxide are added primarily for the owner’s benefit—since pets don’t care about the color, but humans prefer “meaty” looking kibble.

What’s Inside Those Grocery Store Food Color Boxes?

Most grocery stores sell small assortments of liquid food colors in those iconic four-packs (usually green, yellow, red, and blue). These are aqueous solutions made from specific combinations of the seven primary certified synthetic dyes.

  • The Red Bottle: Usually a blend of Red No. 40 and Red No. 3 to produce a versatile “regular red”. If you buy a specialty “Cherry Red,” it is more likely to be pure Red No. 40.
  • The Yellow Bottle: Typically contains Yellow No. 5. Some brands add a tiny amount of Red No. 40 to lean more toward a warm orange-yellow rather than a lemon shade.
  • The Green Bottle: A mix of Yellow No. 5 and Blue No. 1.
  • The Blue Bottle: Generally contains Blue No. 1, sometimes deepened with a touch of Red No. 40.

Culinary Tip: Because these are water-based, they work perfectly for tinting frostings and batters, but they will “seize” chocolate. For high-fat ingredients, you’ll need the oil-based “Lakes” mentioned earlier in the article.

For a deep-dive article that spans history and modern science, the best takeaway section acts as a “cheat sheet” for busy readers while reinforcing your authority.

Here is a draft for your “Final Takeaway” section that you can drop in at the bottom of the post:

The Bottom Line: What You Need to Know in 2026

If you’ve made it through this 6,000-word deep dive, you’re now better informed than 99% of consumers about food safety. Here is the rapid-fire summary:

  • Safety vs. The Law: The Red No. 3 ban is driven by the legal requirements of the 1960 Delaney Clause rather than direct evidence of human harm.
  • Key Deadlines: Manufacturers must remove Red No. 3 by January 15, 2027, while many other synthetic dyes are being phased out voluntarily through 2026.
  • Complex Sources: “Natural” colors are rarely simple. They range from fruit juices to dyes made from insects.
  • Social Impact: The push for “clean labels” has complex socio-economic effects. Learn more about the debate over food deserts and minority rule in the dye debate.
  • The Big Transition: We are currently in a major “clean label” transition. Most petroleum-based dyes are being voluntarily phased out by the end of 2026, with Red No. 3 facing a mandatory ban by January 15, 2027.
  • “Natural” Doesn’t Mean Simple: Shifting to natural colors like Butterfly Pea Flower or Galdieria extract is a massive technical challenge for manufacturers, which is why your favorite snacks might look slightly “muted” in the coming months.
  • Science Over Scares: While the headlines are often alarming, the FDA’s current actions are largely about updating 30-year-old “provisional” lists to align with modern legal standards.

References