The Peruvian Ministry of Health (MINSA in Spanish) launched an alert to ask people to avoid the consumption of food and beverages containing the red dye n°3, which “due to its serious health implications (consequences)” has been banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Minsa confirmed in a statement that last January 15 the FDA “issued a historic ban on its use due to the health risks it represents, particularly its link to cancer”.

It explained that the synthetic dye red No. 3, also known as erythrosine or FD&C Red No. 3, has been commonly used in foods, beverages and medicines to provide a bright red color to products such as candies, cakes, cookies, frozen desserts, icings and some medicines.