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Red Dye #3, also called erythrosine, is a common food coloring used in many processed foods. It can be found most often in candy and cookies and other snacks. The FDA has known for decades the possible dangers of this ingredient; yet still allows it to be used.

Many studies have strongly suggested that it may be a breast carcinogen. It is an man-made chemical that acts as a xenoestrogen or psuedoestrogen. That is, it mimics the behavior of natural estrogen by binding to estrogen receptors in breast tissue. When this happens, cells in the breast are triggered to divide. This can in turn trigger abnormalities that can be the beginning of cancer. This is why even the body's own natural estrogen can be dangerous.

Worse still, xenoestrogens stay in the body much longer than natural estrogens and continue to wreak possible havoc. A body's own natural estrogens are flushed out of the body in a regular cycle; xenoestrogens are not.

In laboratory studies of Red Dye #3, when it came in contact with breast cancer cells it caused them to increase dramatically. It seemed to directly stimulate the growth of breast cells (both healthy and cancerous) and may cause genetic damage, leading to tumor development. It has also been shown to cause thyroid tumors in male rats.

Still not impressed? Seems the stuff is also sprayed on manure piles to kill fly eggs. Yes, as a pesticide!

Xenoestrogens may be especially dangerous to children, whose still developing breast tissue is particularly sensitive to environmental chemicals. Keep that in mind when you let your kids eat that brightly-colored candy!

Red #3 is found in places you might not even think to look. For example, try your medicine cabinet. Until recently, it was used in Pepto-Bismol to give it that bright pink color. It is also sometimes used as color on pill coatings. You might even want to check your toothpaste, as well, if it has any red or pink color in it.

Perhaps even more abhorrent is its use in products specifically targeted to women. Think about all of the artificially-colored red and pink stuff around Valentine's Day. Candies. Cookies. Cakes with pink frosting. It's also used in strawberry flavored diet drinks such as Slim-Fast. Who consumes most of these products? Women! The food industry is fully aware of the research results possibly linking it to breast cancer, yet they seem unconcerned. After all, it's all about the money.

Another place it can be found is in a deceptively innocent-looking frozen food. Morningstar

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