Are maraschino cherries a carcinogenic? Does anyone have any stories about them?
Maraschino cherries (and many other foods) are made food coloring called “FD&C Red No. 3”, which in very high doses has apparently caused thyroid cancer in rats. The FDA has concluded that the risk to humans is minimal, but there has long been pressure for them to ban it.
According to the Mailbag article What is alum, and will it make someone’s mouth shrink, like in the cartoons?, Maraschino cherries (like pickles) are made with alum, which can be deadly in large doses.
I doubt eating even a whole jar of Maraschino cherries every day would be particularly dangerous, though. As a matter of fact, cherries are an excellent source of some antioxidants.