St. Patrick’s Day is officially here!
While the day is in honor of the Feast of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland, it’s culturally become a day when people dress in green and kick back a pint (or two) of green-colored beer.
For those who want to indulge in a green-colored treat, here’s what to know about consuming the food dye during your March 17 celebration.
FD&C Green No. 3 — also known as Fast Green FCF — is a food, drug and cosmetic synthetic dye that is approved by the FDA as a safe additive. However, its use is banned in Europe.
Like many varieties of food dyes, there has been some correlation to tumors and cancer cells, according to a study from the Center for Science in Public Interest. However, they pose a minimal risk.
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“On St. Patrick’s Day, if you have a treat that has some green food coloring in it, you’re probably not going to experience any negative health effects, but keep it to a minimum,” said Lindsay Malone, a registered dietician at Cleveland Clinic, told Houston NBC affiliate KPRC-TV.
The general risk of consuming green food dye remains low. Many of the side effects of drinking green-colored beer are the same as drinking regular beer like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and digestive issues, per the CDC.
Additionally, consuming green dye can also stain your mouth or teeth green — although the affects aren’t permanent.
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