What is Red Dye 3 and why has the US FDA banned it in food and drinks?

Marshmallow Peeps candy, which had contained the dye Red No. 3 but removed it in 2024, is on display at a store in Lafayette, California, March 24, 2023 [File: Haven Daley/AP]

United States food regulators have banned Red Dye 3, a dye used in food, drinks and medicine after evidence found that it causes cancer in rats.

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proscribed the dye based on a 2022 petition by consumer advocacy groups against its use, which had already been banned in cosmetics 35 years ago.