Comparing E124 - Ponceau 4r vs E162 - Beetroot red

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Overview

E124 - Ponceau 4r

Ponceau 4r (E124) is a bright, cherry‑red synthetic food color from the azo dye family. It gives a strong, clean red tone to drinks, sweets, icings, and other processed foods and is widely used in the EU within strict limits. Rules differ by country: it carries a special label warning in Europe and is not approved for use in foods in the United States.

E162 - Beetroot red

Beetroot red (E162) is a natural red-to-pink food color made from red beets. Its main coloring pigment is betanin, which gives foods a vivid berry-like hue without using synthetic dyes. It is widely used in drinks, dairy, and confections, especially where a “natural color” label is preferred.

Synonyms

E124

Ponceau 4r

cochineal red a

CI Food Red 7

Brilliant Scarlet 4R

Ponceau

E162

Beetroot red

betanin

Functions

colour

Origins

Synthetic

Plant

Products

Found in 14 products

Found in 156 products

Search rank & volume

#296760 / mo🇺🇸U.S.

#318500 / mo🇺🇸U.S.

Awareness score

×6.11

over-aware

×0.48

under-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 6 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 3 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Popular questions

How does ponceau stain work?
In labs, “Ponceau stain” usually means Ponceau S (not the food color E124 Ponceau 4R); it’s an anionic azo dye that reversibly binds proteins on nitrocellulose or PVDF via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, giving red bands. As a similar sulfonated azo dye, E124 would color proteins non‑specifically by the same principle but isn’t the standard reagent.
How to image ponceau stained membrane?
Rinse to lower background, then image the wet membrane under white light with a flatbed scanner, gel imager, or phone camera—no special filters needed. After imaging, destain with water or TBST before immunodetection.
How to make ponceau s solution?
Ponceau S (different from E124) is typically prepared as 0.1% w/v dye in 5% v/v acetic acid in water; mix to dissolve and filter. Store at room temperature; optionally include ~0.1% SDS to speed staining.
How to make ponceau stain?
For protein blots, use Ponceau S: 0.1% w/v in 5% v/v acetic acid (water), filter, and use to briefly stain the membrane. E124 Ponceau 4R is a food colorant and isn’t standard for this application.
How to remove ponceau stain?
Wash the membrane in water or TBST until the red color disappears (typically 1–5 minutes); the staining is fully reversible and compatible with later antibody probing. If background persists, a brief rinse in dilute base (e.g., ~0.1 M NaOH) can clear it quickly.