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Is tartrazine (E102 / Yellow 5) safe?

Q: Is Yellow 5 banned in the United States?

No. FD&C Yellow No. 5 remains legal in US food. In April 2025 the FDA and HHS asked manufacturers to remove six petroleum-based synthetic dyes, including Yellow 5, by the end of 2026 — but this is a voluntary industry commitment, not a formal ban. Several US states have passed their own restrictions.

Q: Does tartrazine cause hyperactivity in children?

The 2007 UK Southampton study linked mixtures of six colours (including tartrazine) plus sodium benzoate to increased hyperactivity in some children. EFSA judged the evidence limited — the study tested mixtures, not tartrazine alone — but since July 2010 EU law has required foods containing it to warn that it 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'.

Q: Is tartrazine banned in India?

No. FSSAI permits tartrazine (INS 102) as one of eight approved synthetic colours, generally capped at 100 mg/kg in specified foods such as confectionery, drink concentrates and custard powder. It is common in Indian sweets, ice candies and snack seasonings — look for INS 102 on the label.

Q: Can tartrazine cause allergic reactions?

In a small fraction of people, yes — EFSA's 2009 review concluded tartrazine can trigger intolerance reactions such as hives in sensitive individuals, sometimes at intakes within the acceptable daily limit. This is why the US requires Yellow 5 to be declared by name on labels rather than hidden under a generic 'colour added'.

By LabelCop · Last updated 4 August 2026 · Sources: EFSA, FDA, FSSAI, WHO/JECFA

The short answer: legal everywhere — but no other dye has this many strings attached.

EU: permitted, but every product carrying it must warn it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children"
US: the FDA asked manufacturers to remove it by the end of 2026 — and it's the only dye US labels must declare by name, because of allergic-type reactions
India & WHO: permitted within limits — JECFA found no safety concern at normal intakes
LabelCop: flags E102 on every label — strictest regulator wins

What is tartrazine?

A synthetic lemon-yellow azo dye, made from petroleum-derived chemicals — not from any food
One job: making foods and drinks look yellow (or, blended with blue, green)
Label names: tartrazine, E102, INS 102, FD&C Yellow No. 5, Yellow 5, CI 19140

Which foods contain it?

Soft drinks, squashes and powdered drink mixes
Custard powder, jelly desserts and instant puddings
Sweets, candies and chewing gum
Crisps, chips and snack seasonings — especially cheese and masala flavours
Pickles, sauces and some mustards

In India: one of the most used of FSSAI's eight permitted synthetic colours — common in sweets, ice candies, drink concentrates, custard powder and namkeen seasonings. Look for INS 102 on the label

What the regulators actually say

Regulator	Status	Reasoning
EFSA / European Union	Permitted — mandatory warning label	EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation kept the acceptable daily intake at 7.5 mg/kg body weight and concluded tartrazine can trigger intolerance reactions in a small fraction of people, sometimes within that limit. Since July 2010, EU law requires foods containing E102 to state it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" — a response to the 2007 UK Southampton study.
FDA (United States)	Permitted — phase-out requested by end of 2026	FD&C Yellow No. 5 is approved and batch-certified — but it is the only colour US law singles out for mandatory declaration by name, because it can cause allergic-type reactions such as hives in sensitive people. In April 2025 the FDA and HHS asked industry to remove six petroleum-based dyes, including Yellow 5, from the food supply by the end of 2026 — a voluntary commitment, not a formal ban. Several US states have passed their own restrictions.
FSSAI (India)	Permitted with limits	Tartrazine (INS 102) is one of only eight synthetic colours FSSAI allows, generally capped at 100 mg/kg in specified foods. Products must declare added synthetic colour on the label.
WHO / JECFA	No safety concern within the daily limit	JECFA's 2016 re-evaluation actually raised the acceptable daily intake to 0–10 mg/kg body weight, finding no convincing evidence of adverse effects in the toxicology data — a more relaxed position than the EU's.
UK	Permitted — warning label retained	The UK kept the EU-style child-behaviour warning after Brexit, and the Food Standards Agency has long encouraged manufacturers to voluntarily remove the six Southampton colours.

Why do regulators disagree?

The dispute is about behaviour, not cancer. The 2007 Southampton study found mixtures of six colours plus the preservative sodium benzoate increased hyperactivity in some children
The catch: the study tested mixtures — so no regulator can say how much was tartrazine's doing
EU: couldn't dismiss the signal → kept approval but forced a warning label on every product
WHO/JECFA (2016): read the toxicology as clean and raised the daily limit
US (2025): shifted from "safe" to "remove it anyway" — the FDA's dye phase-out is about cumulative exposure and public trust as much as any single study
Three honest readings of the same evidence — we show you the disagreement instead of quietly picking a side
Separate and better established: allergic-type reactions (hives, itching) in a small minority — the reason US labels must name Yellow 5 specifically

How LabelCop scores it

E102 is a high-risk flag in LabelCop
Rule: strictest regulator wins — the EU's mandatory child-behaviour warning and the FDA's phase-out request mean we flag it everywhere, even where it's freely permitted
The product's score takes a penalty — and you see the flag, the reason and the sources. No black box

Frequently asked questions

Is Yellow 5 banned in the United States?

No. It remains legal. The FDA and HHS asked manufacturers in April 2025 to remove six synthetic dyes, including Yellow 5, by the end of 2026 — but that is a voluntary industry commitment, not a formal ban. Several US states have passed their own restrictions on synthetic dyes in foods and school meals.

Does tartrazine cause hyperactivity in children?

The Southampton study linked colour-plus-benzoate mixtures to increased hyperactivity in some children; because it tested mixtures, tartrazine's individual role is unproven. EFSA called the evidence limited — but EU law still requires the warning label, so parents can decide for themselves.

Is tartrazine banned in India?

No. FSSAI permits INS 102 in specified foods, generally up to 100 mg/kg, as one of eight approved synthetic colours. It is one of the most common colours on Indian labels — bright yellow sweets, drink concentrates and snack seasonings are the usual places.

Can tartrazine cause allergic reactions?

In a small fraction of people, yes — EFSA concluded it can trigger intolerance reactions such as hives, sometimes at intakes within the accepted daily limit. That is why US law requires Yellow 5 to be declared by name rather than hidden under a generic "colour added".

Which label names should I look for?

Tartrazine, E102, INS 102, FD&C Yellow No. 5, Yellow 5 or CI 19140 — or scan the label with LabelCop and it's flagged automatically, with the regulator reasoning shown.

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Sources

EFSA (2009): Scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of Tartrazine (E 102) · Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex V — mandatory warning for specified colours · FDA/HHS (April 2025): phase-out of petroleum-based synthetic dyes · WHO/JECFA (2016): 82nd report — evaluation of certain food additives incl. tartrazine · FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards regulations — permitted colours · McCann et al., The Lancet (2007): the Southampton study

Related ingredients: Sunset yellow (E110) · Red 40 / Allura Red (E129) · Sodium benzoate (E211)

This article explains regulatory status and published scientific assessments in plain English. It is not medical advice.