13 Popular Foods Sold in State of Idaho May Be Linked to Cancer

Back to school season is here! You know what that means, right? Soon, you’ll be back to packing lunches for your kids. 

Things like individually wrapped brownies, single fruit cups, beef jerky sticks and cookies that you can toss in a sandwich baggie are life savers on busy mornings. But depending on how health conscious you are, you may want to stay away from certain snacks that contain questionable ingredients. 

READ MORE: 9 Forbidden Foods That Are Banned in the State of Idaho

For years, Consumer Reports has advocated for the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of an ingredient called Red 3 in food products. Use of the ingredient has been banned in other countries like Japan, China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the European Union (with the exception of a few cherry products.)

However, the synthetic coloring is still used on dozens of foods that you can grab from the shelves at Albertsons, Fred Meyer or Walmart stores in Idaho. In fact, a few of those retailers have Red 3 in products sold under their store branded foods. 

Why Is Red 3 Dangerous?

Also known as Erythrosine, the dye is derived from petroleum. According to the FDA’s website, companies have not been allowed to use coloring in cosmetics or external drugs in the United States since 1990. However, they are still allowed to use the dye itself in food and drugs that are meant to be ingested. 

While informing the public about the use of the dye in a popular Easter candy, Consumer Reports explains that it is a known carcinogen and may lead to cancer in animals. Research shows that lab rats who were fed large quantities of the artificial coloring later developed thyroid tumors. They also suggest that Red 3 may be linked to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in kids. 

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The Easter candy they warned parents about were purple and pink Peeps manufactured by Just Born. Since the Consumer Reports article was published, the company says that 2024 will be the last year that newly manufactured Peeps will contain the coloring. They plan to tweak the recipe and find an alternative before the seasonal candy goes on sale in 2025.

Some States Looking to Ban Red 3, But Not Idaho

In an unprecedented move, the state of California is banning the use of Red 3 in products sold in their state in 2027. While not signed into law, other states like New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Washington state have explored similar legislation. 

There’s a very good chance that if more states jump on the ban, Red 3 won’t be found in foods in Idaho in the future because let’s be honest - manufactures like Kellanova (formerly Kellogg’s,) Nabisco, Kroger and Walmart probably won’t make two versions of the same product. The ripple of recipe changes would likely be felt nationwide. So even if Idaho lawmakers do nothing, we may not have to worry about the potential dangers of Red 3 in the future. 

Right now, thousands of products still have synthetic coloring in them. Here are some of the most common ones that you may pull from the shelves while shopping for snacks for your kids lunches or your own office. All of these are currently in stock at at least one grocery store in the Boise area.