Federal officials moved Wednesday to ban a controversial bright red dye used in drinks and snacks that has been linked to cancer in animals.

The Food and Drug Administration’s action affects red dye No. 3, which was approved for permanent use in food and ingested drugs more than 50 years ago. The decision comes more than two years after advocates pressured the agency to ban the dye used in bubblegum, candy and fruit cocktail, arguing that it is safer to use natural coloring derived from plants such as beets and red cabbage.

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Red dye No. 3 must be removed from food by mid-January 2027 and excised from ingested drugs the following year. The FDA says its decision to ban red dye No. 3 was based on a federal law called the Delaney clause, which prohibits additives found to cause cancer in humans or animals at any dose.