The FDA announced on Wednesday that it has banned the use of Red No. 3, an additive used to give food and drinks a cherry-red color.

Red No. 3, an additive that gives food and drinks a cherry-red color, was officially banned on Wednesday. The Food and Drug Administration announced its decision after advocates filed a petition in 2022 that claimed the additive is linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children.

The Food and Drug Administration has ordered food and drug makers to remove a dye called Red Dye No. 3 from products that American consumers eat and drink. When chef Scott O’Farrell first heard the news he had a flashback.

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Studies commissioned by the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency have linked Red Dye No. 40 to hyperactivity in children.

The FDA has banned red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, the agency announced. But what exactly is red dye No. 3, and why is it being banned? Here's what you need to know.

What and soy are two of nine major allergens. Others are milk, eggs, sesame, fish, tree nuts, crustacean shellfish and peanuts. Allergy reactions may lead to symptoms like hives, rashes, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and coughing or wheezing.

The Food and Drug Administration announced last week that it will revoke authorization for FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs under the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Red No. 3, a synthetic food dye, gives products like candies, frosting and frozen desserts their bright, cherry-red color.

The Food and Drug Administration has said it is banning the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that has long been used in the U.S. to color certain foods, such as candies and colored beverages, as well as some oral medicines and supplements.

The FDA’s move comes more than a year after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act, which bans red dye No. 3 and other substances from being sold in the state.

Red dye No. 3 has been permissible for use in food despite the Delaney Clause of the FDA’s Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The clause, in part, “prohibits the FDA from approving a color additive that is ingested if it causes cancer in animals or humans when ingested,” according to the agency .

Soon enough, American grocery stores will be free of red dye 3. On January 15, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it's revoked authorization of the additive, meaning it will be banned from foods and drugs.