Iron Oxides
The short version
Mineral pigments providing red, yellow, and black tones — increasingly used as a natural replacement for titanium dioxide.
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
JECFA set an ADI of 0–0.5 mg/kg body weight. In its 2015 re-evaluation, EFSA concluded that an adequate safety assessment of E 172 could not be carried out because the biological and toxicological data were insufficient. Iron is an essential nutrient at low levels; the additive use contributes a small fraction of dietary iron compared to fortified flours. Considered safe at typical use levels.
Sources
- WHO JECFA database — Iron oxides (INS 172; evaluation 1999) — Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 1999. JECFA ADI 0-0.5 mg/kg bw
- EFSA — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of iron oxides and hydroxides (E 172) as food additives (EFSA Journal 2015;13(12):4317) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA ANS Panel), 2015. EFSA could not complete safety assessment
- 21 CFR 73.200 — Synthetic iron oxide (color additive exempt from certification; CFR 2025 edition) — U.S. FDA / Code of Federal Regulations (govinfo.gov, 2025 edition), 2025. US use limited to specific foods; heavy-metal specs
Checked against these sources on .
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