McCormick & Co. is likely to adjust ingredients in some of its icing, sprinkles and imitation bacon bits to keep them on the shelves once a ban on a red food dye takes effect.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month banned Red No. 3 in food beginning in January 2027. That gives companies time to make changes to the more than 9,000 products in the U.S. that use Red 3, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture database.

Among them are 16 products made by Hunt Valley-based McCormick, including Cake Mate icings and McCormick’s crunchy salad toppings.

The dye has been banned from cosmetic products for decades and is also banned in several other countries.

Two studies have found that high levels of Red 3 caused cancer in male rats, but, the FDA cautions, the way that Red 3 “causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans.” Still, a 1960 federal law prevents the FDA from authorizing food additives “if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals.”

To comply with the new regulations, food companies may use Red 40, another food dye, instead of Red 3.

A spokesperson did not say how McCormick would replace Red 3 if it continues making the products that use the ingredient.

“McCormick is aware of the FDA decision to revoke the use of FD&C Red No. 3 [Red 3] in foods and ingested drugs,” spokesperson Kendra Ferguson said in an email. “It’s important to note that we have very limited use of Red 3 in our branded retail products and had already begun the process of removing Red 3 prior to the FDA ruling.”

During a quarterly earnings call Thursday — in which McCormick reported a slight increase in sales compared to the prior fiscal year — an analyst asked executives how McCormick would respond if other food additives were banned.

Brendan Foley, McCormick’s board chairman, president and chief executive officer, said that the company is “actively” working on product improvements and that “this is where innovation really drives the industry.”

“We believe we’re poised pretty well to be able to work with our customers on making any product formulation changes that they would like us to make,” Foley said. “This could be the removal of artificial colors, sodium reduction, or just increasing clean ingredients.”