The FDA announced on Wednesday that it has banned the use of Red No. 3, an additive used to give food and drinks a cherry-red color.

The FDA has banned red dye No. 3 in food and ingested drugs, the agency announced. But what exactly is red dye No. 3, and why is it being banned? Here's what you need to know.

The Food and Drug Administration has said it is banning the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that has long been used in the U.S. to color certain foods, such as candies and colored beverages, as well as some oral medicines and supplements.

The FDA’s move comes more than a year after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act, which bans red dye No. 3 and other substances from being sold in the state.

Soon enough, American grocery stores will be free of red dye 3. On January 15, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it's revoked authorization of the additive, meaning it will be banned from foods and drugs.

The FDA just announced a ban on red dye 3 in food and drink, following California's lead. Here's a list of some popular foods that use it.

The US Food and Drug Administration announced this month that it's effectively banning Red No. 3, the controversial artificial red dye found in food and drinks that's been linked to cancer. The decision comes 30 years after scientists first discovered links between the dye and thyroid cancer in animals.