The popular brands sell candy, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, frostings and icings that use the banned dye.

Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, is a color additive made from petroleum that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color.

The U.S. on Wednesday banned the use of a synthetic food dye that gives some candies, cakes and certain oral medications a cherry-red color, following evidence that the dye causes cancer in laboratory rats.