Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, is a color additive made from petroleum that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color.

After decades of debate, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a ban on Red Dye No. 3, a synthetic food coloring that’s been linked to cancer in male lab rats. The decision comes after a petition filed in 2022 by advocacy groups,

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 .