Tartrazine
The short version
A bright yellow synthetic azo dye widely used in beverages, candies, and sauces.
A synthetic yellow dye (Tartrazine / Yellow 5). It only adds colour, but studies linked dyes like this to hyperactivity in some children, so the EU makes products carry a warning label — and a few people get hives from it. That's why we flag it.
Safety profile
EFSA kept the ADI at 7.5 mg/kg body weight per day in 2009. JECFA set a new ADI of 0–10 mg/kg body weight in 2016, replacing its earlier 0–7.5 mg/kg value. Linked to hyperactivity in some sensitive children in the Southampton study, leading to a mandatory EU warning label: 'May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.' Also documented as a rare trigger of urticaria in aspirin-sensitive individuals.
Sources
- EFSA — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Tartrazine (E 102) (2009) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal), 2009. EU ADI 7.5 mg/kg bw/day; intolerance in a small fraction
- WHO JECFA database — Tartrazine (INS 102): ADI 0–10 mg/kg bw (82nd meeting, 2016) — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (WHO), 2016. JECFA ADI raised to 0–10 mg/kg bw in 2016
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, Annex V (warning label colours) — European Parliament and Council of the EU, 2008. Mandatory EU warning label for tartrazine; regulation applies directly in all Member States
- Mattilsynet (Norwegian Food Safety Authority) — Hvordan er regelverket for tilsetningsstoffer bygd opp? (How the food additive rules are structured), published 30 May 2025 — Mattilsynet, 2026. Norway applies EU Regulation 1333/2008, including Annex V warning-label colours
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.