It is the end of an era. On Jan 15, 2025, the FDA officially banned Red 3 food coloring for use in food and beverages. I am a yarn dyer who started my journey dyeing yarn with food coloring before expanding into commercial dyes. I often recommend people try dyeing yarn with food coloring before investing in dedicated dyeing equipment so they can see how they feel about the whole process. The Red 3 ban limits the food safe color palette.
Given these changes, I think I'd address a few questions people may have for me as a yarn dyer:
Do I still consider Red 3 to be food safe dye for dyeing yarn? No. Since it is no longer approved for use in food, I will no longer use food colorings containing Red 3 with any pots or utensils I use for food preparation.
This is not a judgement on the ban itself. I am a yarn dyer who uses food coloring to dye yarn versus for cooking. I give recommendations to novice dyers on what dyes (i.e. food safe dyes) I'm comfortable using with cooking pots and pans versus dedicated dyeing equipment. Since Red 3 is no longer approved for food, it is no longer considered food safe and I cannot responsibly continue to use it for dyeing yarn in anything other than dedicated dyeing equipment.
What are the food safe artificial food colorings? Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2 (uncommon) are currently FDA approved for use in food. While there are other pigments approved for food and beverages as well, these 5 are the ones I've encountered on ingredients lists when buying food coloring to use for dyeing yarn.
Will I still use Red 3 to dye yarn? Yes, although I won't seek it out any more once I run out. I will treat food colorings with Red 3 in them the same as I would any other commercial dye - only using them with dedicated dye equipment that is not used for the preparation of food. The real perk of Red 3 is that it used to be food safe - there are other pink commercial acid dyes out there that have better lightfast properties.
I dye yarn in my kitchen with commercial acid dyes - dyes that are not and have never been food safe. I protect my work surfaces, use dedicated dye equipment and utensils, and clean my work areas to go back to a food kitchen after a day of dyeing. Here is a post where I talk about my favorite tools and equipment for dyeing yarn. I feel comfortable still using Red 3 in my kitchen.
How on earth do you dye yarn with food coloring? Artificial food colorings in the US are in the same class of molecules as acid dyes. So if you combine acid (vinegar or citric acid), heat, and a wool or other animal fiber yarn together, you can create pretty yarn with food coloring. Since those pigments were approved for food versus picked for dyeing textiles, they may not be as light fast as commercial dyes, but I have dyed hundreds of skeins of yarn with food coloring over the years and they are very washfast. Dyeing yarn with food coloring is a great way for a beginner to dabble in the craft, but in the longer term commercial dyes have a bigger range of colors and are more cost effective.
If you plan to sell yarn that you dye, I recommend that you disclose to your customers when yarn is dyed with food coloring versus commercial dyes. This is what I do in the ChemKnits Creations Etsy Shop, I always list the dye type at the top of the listing so my customers can be informed.
Why am I bummed about this ban? I am not bummed that the FDA made a decision for the safety of the public. (Again, I'm not evaluating the science here. The only fact that matters for me is that Red 3 is no longer approved for use in food.) I am only bummed from a food safe color mixing perspective. Red 3 is a bright pink food coloring. The other approved Red in the US, Red 40, is more of a crimson color. You cannot mix bright purples with the deeper red color. Since my perspective on this is with regard to dyeing yarn, versus coloring food, and there are other pink dyes available on the market, overall this isn't a huge deal to me.
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