Cross-referencing clinical data
EarlyFD&C Red #3
FD&C Red #3.
Colors your supplement red. That's it. No health function whatsoever.
EarlyResearch strength
Reviewed March 2026
- Category
- General
- Also filed under
- Provides cherry-red coloring
What FD&C Red #3 is, and what it does.
- Does it work
- All risk, zero benefit. Why is this in a health product?
- How much to take
- Not applicable. You shouldn't be taking this on purpose.
- The first dose
- Nothing noticeable.
- With regular use
- Human risk at supplement doses is debated but unnecessary.
- How well tolerated
- FDA revoked authorization in 2024. Being phased out by 2027. California already banned it.
- How it feels
- No sensation.
The proof, claim by claim.
These words describe the research, not the molecule's worth. Research strength is how much work stands behind one claim, and it is never a product score.
- Causes thyroid tumors in rats
- Dangerous at supplement doses in humans
PubMedCochraneClinicalTrials.govNIH ODSSUPP.AILabs test. IngredientMD verifies.PubMedCochraneClinicalTrials.govNIH ODSSUPP.AILabs test. IngredientMD verifies.
Questions people ask about FD&C Red #3.
- Is Red #3 actually dangerous?
- At the doses used in food and supplements, the risk is very low. But it caused thyroid tumors in rats, and since it provides zero benefit, why accept any risk? The FDA agrees and revoked its authorization.
- When will it be completely gone?
- The FDA gave manufacturers until January 2027 to reformulate. You might still see it on shelves until then.
- Is Red #40 the same thing?
- No. Red #40 (Allura Red) is a different dye and hasn't been banned. They're often confused because of similar names.
- Should I throw out supplements containing it?
- Don't panic. The amount in supplements is tiny. But when it's time to reorder, choose a brand without artificial dyes.
- Why was it in health products in the first place?
- Marketing. Red-colored supplements look more 'vibrant' and 'natural' to consumers. Ironic, since the dye is completely synthetic.
- Are European supplements dye-free?
- The EU requires warning labels on products with Red #3, which effectively pushed most manufacturers to remove it. The US is catching up.
Nothing to show here, and the reason why.
A pairing appears on this page only when a trial gave both ingredients together and measured the result. FD&C Red #3 has none that clears that bar.
No pairing for FD&C Red #3 has cleared review yet.
Stitching two separate single-ingredient studies into a pairing is the one thing this engine will not do. When a study of the combination itself holds up at source, it lands here with its citation.
No invented synergy. Where actives were studied on their own rather than together, the record shows each on its own evidence, never a combined effect no trial measured.
Research strength. Research strength says how much work stands behind the combination. It is never a product score.
Independent record. Every finding is cited to a named trial, dated, and never written by the brand.
20 pairings are live across the library today. Checked 20 July 2026.
Plays well withEstablished knowledge, not a trial
No study gave these as a pair, so they are not in the card above. But the reason they belong together is settled biochemistry, not a guess, so it is worth knowing.
FD&C Red #3 + Iodineshared element, additive intake
Erythrosine is an iodinated xanthene dye, and part of its iodine is released and joins the body's iodide pool. Intake therefore adds to the total iodine load alongside any iodine or kelp in the same formula.
FD&C Red #3 + Ascorbic AcidEstablished dye chemistry: xanthene colourants are reduced and faded by strong reducing agents in solution.
Erythrosine is a xanthene dye and its colour depends on an intact conjugated chromophore. Ascorbic acid is a strong reducing agent, and reducing conditions in a wet or high-moisture formulation drive fading. This is a stability interaction between an excipient and an active, not a nutritional one.
FD&C Red #3 + Sodium BicarbonateEstablished acid-base behaviour of the erythrosine disodium salt.
The colourant is supplied as a water-soluble disodium salt whose solubility falls sharply as pH drops toward the acid range, where the free acid form precipitates. An alkaline buffer keeps it in solution; an acidified formula can cloud or throw a precipitate. Formulators pick the pH deliberately for that reason.
FD&C Red #3 + Calcium CarbonateFormulation practice in tablet coating and colour lake preparation.
Opaque mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate sit alongside colourants in tablet coats and change the apparent shade at a given dye load. The interaction is optical and physical rather than chemical. It affects how much colourant a coating needs, nothing about how either ingredient behaves in the body.
Who should be cautious
Talk to a doctor before taking FD&C Red #3 if any of these apply to you: Linked to thyroid tumors in animal studies, Banned in cosmetics since 1990, FDA announced ban in food/supplements (phase-out in progress), Already banned in California (2027 effective date). These are flags to check first, not effects FD&C Red #3 is known to cause.
Not medical advice. Show the label to your pharmacist.Getting FD&C Red #3 from food.
The whole-food sources on file. A supplement closes the gap, it does not replace dinner.
Maraschino cherriesCandySome fruit snacks
A gram-for-gram figure (how much of each you would eat to match a dose) will appear here once it is sourced and reviewed. This page will not print a number it cannot cite.
The forms it comes in.
FD&C Red No. 3Water-soluble sodium salt of tetraiodofluorescein, supplied as a red-brown powder or granule.Fits Coloured solutions, syrups, gelatin shells and anything where the colour must dissolve evenly.Trade-off Sensitive to light and to acid pH, and it can bleed into adjacent components of a multi-layer product.Formulation aid
FD&C Red No. 3 Aluminium LakeThe dye adsorbed onto an alumina substrate to give an insoluble pigment that disperses rather than dissolves.Fits Tablet coatings, compressed tablets and fat-based systems where a soluble dye would migrate.Trade-off Gives an opaque rather than transparent shade, and dispersion quality depends on particle size and mixing.Formulation aid
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.
