Comparing E129 - Allura red vs E133 - Brilliant blue FCF
Overview
Synonyms
Products
Found in 26,926 products
Found in 20,793 products
Search rank & volume
Awareness score
Search volume over time
Interest over time for 12 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Interest over time for 7 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Popular questions
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
What is blue 1 made of?
A synthetic triarylmethane dye used as a food color; it's the disodium salt of a sulfonated aromatic compound and is water‑soluble. An insoluble 'lake' form is made by depositing the dye onto aluminum hydroxide for use in fats and coatings.
What does blue 1 do to your body?
At typical dietary levels it has no known physiological effect; most ingested Blue 1 is poorly absorbed and is excreted. Rarely, sensitive individuals may have allergic-type reactions or temporary blue-green stool/urine.
Is blue 1 dye bad for you?
No—major regulators (FDA, EFSA, JECFA) consider it safe at permitted levels, with an EFSA ADI of 6 mg/kg body weight per day. Adverse reactions are uncommon and usually limited to rare hypersensitivity.
How is blue 1 made?
It’s synthesized from petroleum‑derived aromatic compounds by constructing a triarylmethane core, then sulfonating and oxidizing it to a water‑soluble disodium salt. The 'lake' form is produced by precipitating the dye onto aluminum hydroxide.
Does blue 1 cause cancer?
Current evidence does not show that Blue 1 causes cancer at permitted food-use levels. Long-term animal studies and evaluations by EFSA/JECFA have not identified carcinogenic or genotoxic concerns.