Erythrosine, a synthetic red dye used to color food, may also be called FD&C No. Red 3, E 127, or Red 14. It is used in various foods, dental tablets, and printing inks, but its safety is debated due to negative side effects. Its use is regulated differently in each country. Consumers can check food labels to see if it contains erythrosine.
Erythrosine is a synthetic red dye used primarily to color food. Since colorants and additives are required to be listed on the package in many countries, consumers may want to note that it may also be called FD&C No. Red 3, E 127, Red 14, or by its chemical name, disodium 2 (2, 4,5,7 -tetraiodo- 3-oxido- 6- oxoxanthen-9-yl) benzoate monohydrate. Although it is allowed in many countries, there are often reservations about its safety.
Erythrosine is most commonly used to color food. Pitcher cherries, such as maraschino cherries, are often colored with erythrosine. Other foods that are colored with this synthetic dye include cake icing, colored pistachio shells, luncheon meat, hot dogs, pate, and salmon sauce. It is also used in dental tablets that leave a red residue on teeth to indicate areas of plaque buildup. In addition, it is often used by the printing industry for some varieties of red or cherry pink inks.
There are two sets of thinking when it comes to erythrosine: it should be used or it shouldn’t be used. People who claim that erythrosine is beneficial say that it colors items better than other red dyes. Consequently, less erythrosine is needed to develop a richly colored product than would be needed for other red dyes. The theory goes that less dye is better, so erythrosine is better. Additionally, proponents may point out that it is one of the few kosher red dyes. Others point out that it can cause negative side effects. Specifically, research studies have shown that it can have a negative effect on the thyroid gland in animals, and can create sensitivity to light. Additionally, dyes in food have been linked to hyperactivity in children.
Each country handles dye differently. In Australia and New Zealand, the chemical was traditionally only used on preserved cherries; However, there was a big push to allow its use in candies and cookies. The debate is ongoing in those countries. In South Africa, it was used in Strawberry Nesquick, but those products were withdrawn from stores in the 1990s and the dye can now only be used on meats, cherry preserves, and glaze. In the UK, the retailer ASDA announced in 2007 that it would remove dye from its private label products.
Consumers can usually find out if food contains erythrosine, or more commonly FD&C Red No. 3, by reading the label of the food they buy. Some countries have banned its use or limited it to a few products. However, there are certain countries, such as China and India, that have few regulations on colorants and additives.
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