After the Red No. 3 ban, there are now eight color additives approved by the FDA. They are FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5 and FD&C Yellow No. 6.

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.

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.

Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) order banning the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food products, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias renewed his call for an overhaul of the rules governing food additives to eliminate toxic chemicals from the food supply,

FDA bans Red Dye No. 3Red Dye No. 3 is in many cereals, candies, colored sports drinks and other foodsSome foods, like vegan meats, mashed

While it caused cancer in these male rats, the dye does not cause cancer in humans and other animals in the same way, according to other studies. Therefore, “claims that the use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information,” according to the FDA.

The FDA banned Red Dye No. 3. The additive is found in over 9,000 U.S. products. Here's how to avoid it, and what to reach for instead.