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 FDA has banned Red No. 3 dye which is in multiple foods, drinks, medications, and other products. Which ones have Red 3? Why was it banned?

The dye, known for its bright cherry-red color, is found in candies, snack cakes, maraschino cherries, and some beverages.

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.

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 .

The Food and Drug Administration said it is banning the use of Red No. 3, which is founds in over 3,000 products. Here's a list of a few items

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially banned red dye — called Red 3, or Erythrosine — from foods, dietary supplements and ingested medicines, as reported on Wednesday.

The decision arrives nearly 35 years after the dye was prohibited in cosmetics because of potential cancer risk.

FDA officials have telegraphed the decision for months. While the agency has long said that it did not think evidence of Red 3 causing cancer applied to humans, officials said their hand was forced by a law requiring the agency to pull additives that are cancerous in animals.