Food & Drink / Products / Artificial Food Dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1)

Artificial Food Dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1) — food safety profile

Moderate risk

Synthetic petroleum-derived food colorings (FD&C Red 40/Allura Red, Yellow 5/Tartrazine, Yellow 6/Sunset Yellow, Blue 1/Brilliant Blue) used in candy, beverages, cereals, snacks, and medications.

What is this product?

Synthetic petroleum-derived food colorings (FD&C Red 40/Allura Red, Yellow 5/Tartrazine, Yellow 6/Sunset Yellow, Blue 1/Brilliant Blue) used in candy, beverages, cereals, snacks, and medications. California AB 418 (2023) requires warning labels on products containing specified synthetic dyes by 2028. European regulatory approach requires warning labels: 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. Multiple meta-analyses link artificial food dyes to behavioral effects in children.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Processing Trace

Who's most at risk

  • Children — Developing endocrine and neurological systems, higher exposure per body weight

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Unsubstantiated safety or environmental claims — Product may not perform as marketed.

Green flags — what to look for

  • Third-party certification — Claims independently verified.

Safer alternatives

  • Products using natural colorants — beet juice, turmeric, spirulina, paprika
  • EU-formulated versions of popular brands — natural colors
  • Uncolored alternatives — plain cereals, unflavored beverages

Frequently asked questions

Who should be careful with Artificial Food Dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1)?

Vulnerable populations identified for this product type: children.

Are there safer alternatives to Artificial Food Dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1)?

Yes — consider: Products using natural colorants; EU-formulated versions of popular brands; Uncolored alternatives. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

Look up Artificial Food Dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1) in the food app

Search by ingredient, browse by category, or compare to alternatives in the live app.

Open in food View raw API data

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →