Is Food Coloring Bad for Hummingbirds?

Question:

I keep hearing that commercial food coloring is harmful to hummers. No one can tell me why. Is there scientific basis for this? Thank you for your time.

Answer

This is a great question. The answer is murky. On the one hand, my own research has not turned up any scientific evidence that says commercial food coloring is harmful to hummingbirds. However, that doesn't mean that commercial food coloring is safe for hummingbirds, it just means that as far as I can tell, no one has done any formal scientific studies on the subject.

Most commercial brands of food coloring use a dye form of FD&C Red No.3. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discontinued the provision listing of FD&C Red No.3 for use in external drugs and cosmetics because one study of the color additive in male rats showed an association with thyroid tumors. When making this announcement, the FDA also indicated that any human risk posed by FD&C Red No. 3 was extremely small and that the provisional listing had been discontinued due to a specific legal mandate, rather than safety concerns.

And although FD&C Red No. 3 remains permanently listed (approved) for use in food and ingested drugs, the FDA has announced its intent to propose rescinding those listings as well. Even if the FDA decides that FD&C Red No.3 remains safe for human ingestion, what's good for humans isn't always good for animals and birds.

The Audubon Society states (rather diplomatically) on their website that, "the current thinking is that food coloring may not be good for them, nor is it necessary to attract hummingbirds." Personally, this makes logical sense to me because in nature, natural flower nectar is clear, not red, and made up only of sugar and water. You can mix your own using 1/4-cup of sugar to every 1 cup of water.

The color of the red flowers (and your feeder) is enough to attract hummingbirds to the nectar. If your feeder isn't red or brightly colored, tie a bit of red ribbon to it to get the bird's attention.

Ellen