FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods - including Ring Pops, bubble gum and veggie bacon - for link to cancer

Red dye no. 3 gives many foods and drinks a distinctive cherry red color - such as Pez candy - (AP)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of red dye No. 3 in food, beverages and injected drugs, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risks.

Red dye No. 3 is a synthetic color additive made from petroleum and a chemical known as erythrosine that gives foods and beverages a distinctive bright cherry-red color.