Fact-checked October 2026.
Three of the four peppermint candy canes we read list Red 40 [1, 2, 3]. The fourth, Sweet Nature, lists "Colored with Vegetable Juice" and no Red 40 [4].
That's the candy cane Red 40 answer in one line. The rest of this post shows you how to read the color line yourself. By the end, you'll be able to tell dye from vegetable juice on any wrapper.
Which Candy Canes Have Red 40?
Here are the four, with the color line as each label prints it.
- Brach's Peppermint Candy Canes: RED 40, RED 40 LAKE [1].
- Spangler Peppermint Red & White: Color Added (Includes Red 40, Yellow 5) [2].
- Spangler Peppermint Red Green and White: Color Added (Includes: Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1) [3].
- Sweet Nature Peppermint Christmas Candy Canes: Colored with Vegetable Juice [4].
The rest of each list is short. All four start with sugar and corn syrup [1, 2, 3, 4]. Brach's lists corn syrup first, and adds peppermint oil [1]. The other three list natural flavor [2, 3, 4].
Sweet Nature's listing says its stripes come from the natural coloring in vegetable juice. It says no artificial colors are used [4]. The H-E-B page lists "Spangler Sweet Nature Peppermint Candy Canes" as a similar item [4]. So Sweet Nature is sold under the Spangler name on H-E-B's site.
Brach's page gives the least detail. It lists sizes of 5.3 oz and 8.8 oz [1]. There's no piece count and no allergen statement [1].
How Do You Read the Color Line on a Candy Cane?
Start with the rule. Any coloring added to a food has to be declared in the ingredient list [5]. From there, the label tells you which kind of color it is.
If you see a name like Red 40, it's a certified color. A color that must be certified has to be listed by its name [5]. The "FD&C" and "No." can be dropped, so "Red 40" is allowed [5]. The FDA's own words: "The label must list the names of any FDA-certified color additive" [9].
Certified colors are synthetic. Every new batch must be certified by the FDA [9].
If you see "Lake," it's a form of that color. A lake has to include the word "Lake" on the label [5]. The federal rule says how a lake is made. The color's aluminum or calcium salt goes onto a base of alumina [7]. So Brach's "Red 40 Lake" is a form of Red 40 [1, 6].
If you see only "Color Added" or "Colored with," it's an exempt color. Exempt colors may be listed as "Artificial Color," "Artificial Color Added" or "Color Added" [5]. Or it can say "Colored with ___" or "___ color," with the name filled in [5]. Exempt colors include pigments from natural sources, such as vegetables, minerals or animals. They still need FDA approval [9].
One exception: carmine (cochineal extract) is an exempt color, but it must be listed by name [9].
Vegetable juice is one of those exempt colors. Under its rule, the juice is pressed from fresh, edible vegetables [8]. Or dried vegetables are soaked in water [8]. It may be concentrated or dried [8]. It can be used to color foods generally, in amounts that fit good manufacturing practice [8].
One pattern to spot. Spangler's labels say "Color Added," then name the certified colors in parentheses [2, 3]. "Color Added" alone is wording for exempt colors [5]. The names in parentheses are what the certified-color rule requires [5].
For Red 40 itself, and the research, see is Red 40 bad for you?.
Does "Natural Flavor" Mean No Red 40?
No. Both Spangler canes list Natural Flavor [2, 3]. Both also list Red 40 and Yellow 5, and one adds Blue 1 [2, 3]. Harris Teeter's web address for one of them even says "natural-peppermint" [3].
Sweet Nature lists Natural Flavor too [4]. Its color comes from vegetable juice [4]. So the flavor line and the color line are two different lines on the label.
What a flavor line can hold is in our natural flavors guide.
Is Red 40 Still Allowed in Candy Canes?
Yes. Under 21 CFR 74.340, Red 40 may be safely used to color foods generally [6]. That's within good manufacturing practice [6]. The exception is foods with a standard of identity, and the listing covers lakes too [6].
FDA's view: "Color additives are safe when they are used in accordance with" its rules [9]. On children: "most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives" [9]. It adds, "some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them" [9].
Here's what's changing. On April 22, 2025, HHS and the FDA announced a national initiative. Its goal is to phase out petroleum-based food dyes, the certified colors [10].
The FDA is working with industry to eliminate six dyes by the end of 2027. They are Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2 [10]. The company commitments are voluntary [10].
Three of those six are on the canes we read [1, 2, 3, 10]. They're Red 40, Yellow 5 and Blue 1. Red 40 Lake is a form of Red 40 [6]. We didn't find Brach's or Spangler on FDA's pledge list as of October 16, 2026 [10].
We read Halloween candy labels the same way in our Halloween candy post.
How Much Sugar Is in a Candy Cane?
About 9 g of added sugar, for the three canes that list it. Both Spangler canes and Sweet Nature each list 9 g of added sugar per cane [2, 3, 4]. That's 18% of the Daily Value, since 9 ÷ 50 is 18% [11]. Brach's lists 9 g of sugars per piece, but doesn't say whether that's added [1].
The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g a day [11]. The FDA's guide says 5% or less is low, and 20% or more is high [11]. Two Spangler canes come to 18 g, or 36% [2, 11].
The other numbers, per cane: 45 calories for Spangler and Sweet Nature, 50 for Brach's [1, 2, 3, 4]. Sodium is 10 mg for Brach's and Spangler, and 0 mg for Sweet Nature [1, 2, 3, 4].
So here's your two-line wrapper check. One, the color line. A name like Red 40, Yellow 5 or Blue 1 means a certified color. "Colored with" means an exempt one. Two, the added sugar line and its percent.
We read hot cocoa mix packets the same way. To check a box in the aisle, scan it with the free app.
Frequently Asked Questions
A. Three of the four peppermint canes we read list it. They are Brach's, Spangler Red & White, and Spangler Red Green and White. Sweet Nature lists vegetable juice for color and no Red 40.
A. Of the four we read, Sweet Nature Peppermint Christmas Candy Canes. Its label says "Colored with Vegetable Juice." The listing says no artificial colors are used.
A. A form of Red 40. A lake is made under 21 CFR 82.51. The color's aluminum or calcium salt goes onto a base of alumina. The label has to include the word "Lake." Brach's lists both.
A. It's an exempt color. The juice is pressed from fresh vegetables, or dried vegetables are soaked in water. Exempt colors still need FDA approval.
A. No. Both Spangler canes list Natural Flavor. Both also list Red 40 and Yellow 5, and one adds Blue 1. The flavor line and the color line are separate.
A. No, it's allowed under 21 CFR 74.340. The FDA is working with industry to phase out six dyes by the end of 2027. Red 40 is one of them, and the pledges are voluntary. We didn't find Brach's or Spangler on the list as of October 16, 2026.
A. Spangler and Sweet Nature canes each list 9 g of added sugar. That's 18% of the Daily Value. Brach's lists 9 g of sugars per piece without saying whether it's added.
References
- Brach's. Peppermint Candy Canes (official product page). https://www.brachs.com/products/holiday/peppermint-candy-canes
- Harris Teeter. Spangler Peppermint Red & White Candy Canes Holiday Box, 12 ct / 5.3 oz, UPC 0003080063700 (product listing). https://www.harristeeter.com/p/spangler-peppermint-candy-canes/0003080063700
- Harris Teeter. Spangler Peppermint Red Green and White Candy Canes Holiday Box, 12 ct / 5.3 oz, UPC 0003080063900 (product listing). https://www.harristeeter.com/p/spangler-holiday-natural-peppermint-candy-canes/0003080063900
- H-E-B. Sweet Nature Peppermint Christmas Candy Canes, 12 ct (product listing). https://www.heb.com/product-detail/sweet-nature-peppermint-christmas-candy-canes/2242658
- Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 101.22, Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives, paragraph (k). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-101/subpart-B/section-101.22
- Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 74.340, FD&C Red No. 40. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-74/subpart-A/section-74.340
- Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 82.51, Lakes (FD&C). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-82/subpart-B/section-82.51
- Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 73.260, Vegetable juice. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-73/subpart-A/section-73.260
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers. Content current as of December 14, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/food/color-additives-information-consumers/color-additives-questions-and-answers-consumers
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum-Based Food Dyes. Content current as of October 16, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/food/color-additives-information-consumers/tracking-food-industry-pledges-remove-petroleum-based-food-dyes
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label. Content current as of March 4, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label