The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving to ban the use of Red No. 3 dye in food products.

The agency said Wednesday it is amending its color additive regulations to no longer allow the use of Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, in response to a 2022 petition from health groups and activists.

FD&C Red No. 3, also known as Red 3, is a synthetic food dye that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. It is primarily used in foods such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, frosting and icings, and some ingested drugs.

At least two studies have shown that high levels of the food dye were linked to cancer in rats. However, the link between the dye and cancer does not occur in humans, the FDA says.

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