Some food manufacturers are seeing red after an action this week by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that will soon have consumers seeing less of the color.

In a move that was long anticipated, and also long overdue in the minds of some in the medical community, the FDA announced it is banning food processors from using Red 3 in any of their products.

The dye has been used for decades in a number of familiar foods but has been linked to causing diseases like cancer (at least in laboratory rats) and even behavioral issues in children.

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Red 3, which is also known as FD&C Red No. 3 or FC&C Red No. 3, was already banned in California last year and has been an illegal food additive in countries like Australia and New Zealand for many years (with the strange exception of its permitted use in the making of maraschino cherries).

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), there are upwards of 9,200 products which contain at least small amounts of Red 3 that are currently being manufactured in the Unites States. Here is a short list of a few of them:

MARASCHINO CHERRIES

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PILLSBURY FUNFETTI CAKE MIX

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NESQUIK STRAWBERRY-FLAVORED MILK

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BRACH'S CONVERSATION CANDY HEARTS

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PEZ

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ENSURE PROTEIN DRINKS

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GOOD HUMOR STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM BARS

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CANDY CORN (most brands)

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YELLOW / SAFFRON RICE (most brands)

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This week's move by the FDA follows one that banned Red 3 from being used in cosmetics and topical medications in the 1990's.

The newest prohibition of Red 3 calls for manufacturers to have completely removed it from their products by Jan. 15, 2027. Until then, consumers can still get their Red 3 fix in a wide array of products, although no one's really certain why they'd want to.

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Gallery Credit: Rik Mikals

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