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California Bans Red Dye No. 3: Find your alternative

California has banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food products. The U.S. state is thus prohibiting this food coloring that is commonly used in popular beverages, confectionery, and snacks. Food manufacturers must now find alternatives, since products with Red #3 need to be off the shelves by 2027. CAPOL has been demonstrating for years that brilliant food colors can also be achieved with natural colors and color blends.

More than 3,000 products are affected by the Red #3 ban, including internationally known sweets, snacks, confectionery, soft drinks, bakery, frosting, and other food items. California's ban on Red #3 leaves food manufacturers across the U.S. searching for the right ingredients they can use to replace this dye to obtain similar color shades for their products.

CAPOL offers these manufacturers numerous options. Thanks to decades of experience with natural ingredients, we know which methods yield the best color results. During the upcoming reformulations, food manufacturers can rely on personalized guidance to ensure that chocolate, gelatin, marshmallows, sprinkles, icings, frostings, and other finished products continue to impress visually as they always have.

To achieve this, our experts can create new color blends that match the red shade that consumers are familiar with. This way, brands can keep the iconic appearance of their food products and fulfill the new requirements at the same time.

Impress Customers with Plant-Based Red

With VIVAPIGMENTS®, CAPOL also provides a vibrant natural alternative to Red #3. Based on natural color extracts, e.g. from red beet and red radish, these colorants can give food items such as chocolate, baked goods, coatings, ice cream, and yogurt an appealing shade of red – from subtle to rich and highly pigmented. Thanks to a patented technology, the natural extracts are encapsulated in a water-insoluble rice protein matrix, making VIVAPIGMENTS® an all-natural ingredient that offers lake-like characteristics.

Reformulating existing products can be a challenging task, but CAPOL provides manufacturers with dependable solutions that offer viable alternatives to synthetic Red #3 for the US market. Our dedicated team of food professionals is ready to offer assistance and support to food manufacturers, ensuring a smooth transition.

  • Discover your Red #3 alternative

    Discover your Red #3 alternative

    Change to Red #3 alternatives without compromising your well-established appeal to your loyal customers, while also captivating new customers with our hot pink color blends.

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