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 Food and Drug Administration announced on Jan. 15 that it is revoking authorization of the food dye known as red dye No. 3. The agency had been reviewing a petition to ban the petroleum-based colorant since 2022,

For decades, FD&C Red No. 3 has added its vivid cherry-red hue to candies and cupcakes—but its risks have been debated just as long.