Food Colors Additive Guide Including Food Color Dangers

Number

Name

Comments

E100@

Curcumin

orange-yellow color; derived from the root of the curcuma (turmeric) plant, but can be artificially produced; used in cheese, margarine, baked sweets and fish fingers

E101@

Riboflavin, Riboflavin-5'-phosphate

'vitamin B2' and color; occurs naturally in green veggies, eggs, milk, liver and kidney; used in margarine and cheese

E102

Tartrazine

FD&C Yellow No.5; known to provoke asthma attacks (though the US FDA** do not recognize this) and urticaria (nettle rash) in children (the US FDA** estimates 1:10 000); also linked to thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, urticaria (hives) and hyperactivity; tartrazine sensitivity is also linked to aspirin sensitivity; used to color drinks, sweets, jams, cereals, snack foods, canned fish, packaged soups; banned in Norway and Austria

E104

Quinoline Yellow

FD&C Yellow No.10; used in lipsticks hair products, colognes; also in a wide range of medications; cause dermatitis; banned in Australia, USA and Norway

E107

Yellow 7G

yellow color; the HACSG* recommends to avoid it; people who suffer Asthma may also show an allergic reaction to it; typical products are soft drinks; banned in Australia and USA

E110@

Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S

FD&C Yellow No.6; used in cereals, bakery, sweets, snack foods, ice cream, drinks and canned fish; synthetic; also in many medications including Berocca, Polaramine, Ventolin syrup; side effects are urticaria (hives), rhinitis (runny nose), nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, distaste for food; seen increased incidence of tumors in animals; banned in Norway

E120@

Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines

red color; made from insects; rarely used; the HASCG* recommends to avoid it

E122

Azorubine, Carmoisine

red color; coal tar derivative; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; typical products are confectionary, marzipan, jelly crystals; banned in Sweden, USA, Austria and Norway

E123

Amaranth

FD&C Red No.2; derived from the small herbaceous plant of the same name; used in cake mixes, fruit-flavoured fillings, jelly crystals; can provoke asthma, eczema and hyperactivity; it caused birth defects and foetal deaths in some animal tests, possibly also cancer; banned in the USA, Russia, Austria and Norway and other countries

E124

Ponceau 4R, Cochineal Red A

FD&C Red No.4; synthetic coal tar and azo dye, carcinogen in animals, can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in USA & Norway

E127

Erythrosine

FD&C Red No.3; red color used in cherries, canned fruit, custard mix, sweets, bakery, snack foods; can cause sensitivity to light; can increase thyroid hormone levels and lead to hyperthyroidism, was shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats in a study in 1990; banned in January 1990, but not recalled by the US FDA**; banned in Norway

E128

Red 2G

banned in Australia and many other places except UK

E129

Allura red AC

FD&C Red No.40; Orange-red color used in sweets, drinks and condiments, medications and cosmetics, synthetic; introduced in the early eighties to replace amaranth which was considered not safe due to conflicting test results; allura red has also been connected with cancer in mice; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway

E131

Patent blue V

banned in Australia, USA and Norway

E132@

Indigotine, Indigo carmine

FD&C Blue No.2, commonly added to tablets and capsules; also used in ice cream, sweets, baked goods, confectionery, biscuits, synthetic coal tar derivative; may cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, skin rashes, breathing problems and other allergic reactions. banned in Norway

E133

Brilliant blue FCF

FD&C Blue Dye No.1; used in dairy products, sweets and drinks, synthetic usually occurring as aluminum lake (solution) or ammonium salt; banned in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway

E140

Chlorophylis, Chlorophyllins

green color occurs naturally in all plants; used for dyeing waxes and oils, used in medicines and cosmetics

E141

Copper complexes of chloropyll and chlorophyllins

olive color, no adverse effects are known

E142

Green S

green color; synthetic coal tar derivative; used in canned peas, mint jelly and sauce, packet bread crumbs and cake mixes; banned inSweden, USA and Norway

E150(a)

Plain caramel

dark brown color made from sucrose; the HACSG* recommends to avoiding it. Used in oyster, soy, fruit and canned sauces, beer, whiskey, biscuits, pickles

E150(b)

Caustic sulphite caramel

see E150(a)

E150(c)

Ammonia caramel

see E150(a)

E150(d)

Sulphite ammonia caramel

see E150(a)

E151

Brilliant Black BN, Black PN

color; coal tar derivative; used in brown sauces, blackcurrant cake mixes; banned in Denmark, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, USA, Norway

E153@

Vegetable carbon

black colour, charcoal pigment; used in jams, jelly crystals, liquorice; only the vegetable derived variety permitted in Australia, banned in the United States

E154

Brown FK

banned in USA

E155

Brown HT (Chocolate)

brown color, coal tar and azo dye; used in chocolate cake mixes; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; also known to induce skin sensitivity; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, USA, Norway

E160(a)@

Carotene, alpha-, beta-, gamma-

orange-yellow colour; human body converts it to 'Vitamin A' in the liver, found in carrots and other yellow or orange fruits and vegetables

E160(b)@

Annatto (Arnatto, Annato), bixin, norbixin

red color; derived from a tree (Bixa orellana); used as a body paint, fabric dye, digestive aid and expectorant; used to dye cheese, butter, margarine, cereals, snack foods, soaps, textiles and varnishes; known to cause urticaria (nettle rash), the HACSG* recommends to avoid it

E160(c)@

Paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin

avoid it, banned in some countries

E160(d)@

Lycopene

red coloured carotenoid found in tomatoes and pink grapefruit, can cause decreasing risk of cancer

E160(e)@

Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C 30)

orange color, no adverse effects are known

E160(f)@

Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (C 30)

orange color, no adverse effects are known

E161(b)

Xanthophylls - Lutein

yellow color derived from plants, naturally found in green leaves, marigolds and egg yolks

E161(g)@

Xanthophylls - Canthaxanthin

yellow color possibly derived from animal sources (retinol); the pigment is found in some mushrooms, crustacea, fish, flamingo feathers

E162

Beetroot Red, Betanin

purple color derived from beets; no adverse effects are known

E163

Anthocyanins

violet color matter of flowers and plants; seems safe

E170@

Calcium carbonate

mineral salt, used in toothpastes, white paint and cleaning powders; may be derived from rock mineral or animal bones; sometimes used to deacidify wines and firm canned fruit and veg.; toxic at 'high doses'

E171

Titanium dioxide

white color used in toothpaste and white paint, pollutes waterways; no adverse effects are known

E172

Iron oxides and hydroxides

black, yellow, red color used in salmon and shrimp pastes; toxic at 'high doses'

E173

Aluminium

avoid it, banned in some countries

E174

Silver

avoid it, banned in some countries

E175

Gold

avoid it, banned in some countries

E180

Latolrubine BK

avoid it, banned in some countries

E181

Tannic acid, tannins

clarifying agent in alcohol; derived from the nutgalls and twigs of oak trees; occurs naturally in tea