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.

The FDA banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 based on a petition asking that the agency follow a specific guideline.

You may have heard in the news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will no longer allow the use of FD&C Red Dye No. 3 in food or ingested drugs. Consumers are voicing questions about food additives and food additive safety.

The FDA recently banned the use of one of those dyes, Red Dye No. 3. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports, joined the Standard with more about the dye and what the ban means. Texas Standard: I bet you’ve been getting a lot of questions about this one. Why did the FDA ban Red Dye No. 3 in the first place?

T he U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of red dye No. 3 in foods, more than three decades after researchers discovered its link to cancer in rodents and to worsened attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and other behavioral symptoms. The dye is already banned from foods in the European Union, New Zealand and Australia.

The US Food and Drug Administration has revoked its authorization of Red No. 3 in food, drinks and ingested drugs across the country after two studies showed that when laboratory rats consumed the dye in high amounts,