Comparing E129 - Allura red vs E123 - Amaranth

Synonyms
E129
Allura red
Allura red ac
Allura Red AC
FD&C Red 40
FD and C Red 40
Red 40
Red no40
Red no. 40
FD and C Red no. 40
Food Red 17
C.I. 16035
Red 40 lake
E123
Amaranth
FD&C Red 2
Functions
Products

Found in 26,926 products

Found in 7 products

Search rank & volume
#9156.5K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#3382.3K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.85
normal

×1002.15
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 12 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
  1. Why is red 40 bad?

    Concerns focus on it being a synthetic azo dye and on studies suggesting small effects on attention and activity in some children (the EU requires a behavior warning label for E129). It may also trigger rare hypersensitivity reactions, though regulators (FDA, EFSA, JECFA) consider it safe at approved levels.

  2. Why is red 40 banned?

    It isn’t broadly banned—FD&C Red No. 40 is allowed in the U.S. and EU (with an EU warning about possible effects on children’s behavior). Some jurisdictions, schools, or brands choose to avoid it, but that’s a policy choice rather than a general prohibition.

  3. What is red 40 made of?

    Allura Red AC is a synthetic azo dye produced from petroleum‑derived aromatic compounds, typically used as its water‑soluble sodium salt (also available as calcium/potassium salts or aluminum lakes).

  4. What does red 40 do to your body?

    Most ingested Red 40 is not absorbed and is excreted; some is broken down by gut bacteria to aromatic amines. In sensitive individuals it can cause intolerance-like reactions, and some children may experience small, reversible changes in activity/attention; within the ADI (~7 mg/kg body weight/day) it’s considered safe by major regulators.

  5. What is red dye 40 made of?

    It’s a synthetic azo dye made from petroleum‑derived aromatic compounds, usually supplied as the water‑soluble sodium salt (and sometimes as calcium/potassium salts or aluminum lakes).

  1. How to cook amaranth?

    E123 amaranth is a synthetic food dye, not the edible grain, so it isn’t cooked; where legal, manufacturers dissolve tiny amounts into foods to add red color. It’s banned in the United States and not intended for home use.

  2. Is amaranth gluten free?

    Yes—E123 amaranth is a synthetic colorant and contains no gluten; any gluten risk would come from the finished product or added carriers, not the dye itself.

  3. How to eat amaranth?

    You don’t eat E123 by itself; where permitted, it’s simply present in colored foods (e.g., glacé cherries or confections) and consumed as part of those products.

  4. What does amaranth taste like?

    At permitted levels E123 has virtually no taste; it’s used to impart a red hue, not flavor.

  5. What is amaranth in stardew valley?

    In Stardew Valley, “amaranth” is the grain crop and is unrelated to E123. E123 is a synthetic red dye used to color foods in some countries and is banned in the U.S.