Seeing Red No. 3

The US government recently waged a new war on artificial food dyes, with a ban on Red No. 3 and an “understanding” with the food industry to phase out a lot more.

But there’s still hope for people who love the unnatural hue of their favorite snack food.

Green No. 2 with envy

A number of startups are already developing alternative food dyes, largely thanks to the wonders of fermentation.

• Danish startup Chromologics uses fungi to create a tasteless red pigment as an alternative to dyes made from crushed insects.
• Israeli startup Phytolon uses genetically modified yeast to generate a wide range of colors, but all GMOs are filtered out at the end.
• Michroma ferments fungi to make protein-rich dyes, perfect for plant-based meat.
• If you don’t mind the bugs, Sensient Technologies claims it can make “Barbie pink” from crushed cochineal.

Unfortunately, a full transition to natural dyes could take years, the Associated Press notes.

• The current supply of alternative dyes wouldn’t cover the demand.
• That “understanding” didn’t produce any actual legislation, so there’s nothing to stop companies from still using most old dyes.

What’re ya, Yellow No. 6? 

The FDA itself acknowledged that the ban on Red No. 3 specifically is because it causes cancer in rats, but that humans aren’t susceptible in the same way.

Also, while synthetic dyes aren’t good for you, making Cheetos a slightly different color isn’t going to single-handedly make kids healthier.

But it can’t hurt and there seem to be viable solutions, so why not?