Red #2

Red #2

Red #2

What is it:

Red #2, also known as amaranth dye, is a banned dye in the US since 1976. Red #2 is made from petroleum byproducts and was used in consumer products such as food and makeup. When Red #2 was banned, Red #40 largely took its place in those products in the US.

Rating:

Red #2 was banned in the US due to suspected carcinogenic properties. Soviet scientists in 1971 announced that Red #2 was a carcinogen, and later American studies showed tumor growth in rats exposed to Red #2. Red #2 was banned in the US in 1976. A later study showed that Red #2 caused a twofold enhancement of two enzymes linked with carcinogenesis.

Resources:

  1. History of Red Dye #2 (article)
  2. Red #2 and intestinal tumors. (article)
  3. Red #2 and Carcinogenesis (in vitro study)

How we rate ingredients

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:

Clean

It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.

Caution

It goes into one or more of the below categories

  • It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
  • It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)

We Avoid

It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)

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