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.

The controversial artificial food dye Red 3 was banned Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration nearly 35 years after the dye was removed from cosmetics due to cancer concerns. Dr. Eric Ascher, family medicine physician at New York City's Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital,