Colours are added to food for cosmetic reasons: to make processed foods look colourful and more appealing (especially to children) or to restore the natural colour that has been lost during processing and storage.
Colours are also used to make food look more natural or to create an illusion of fresh ingredients in food that is in fact, artificial.
TARTRAZINE or FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 (E102)
A bright yellow synthetic (coal-tar) azo dye. Also a registered pesticide and is used in an aquatic weed killer. Found in a wide range of foods, such as soft drinks, milkshakes, breakfast cereals, canned peas, pickles, biscuits, cakes, ice cream, sweets, pasta, desserts and potato salads.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Can trigger asthma, hyperactivity, skin rashes, migraine, rhinitis, blurred vision, night waking and raised histamine levels. Decreases digestive enzyme activity, inhibits the production of prostaglandins from fatty acids, and reduces the amount of zinc in the body. In one animal study it was found to produce genetic chromosomal damage.
CARMOISINE or AZORUBINE (E122)
A red azo dye found in jams, jellies, cakes, confectionery, yoghurts and biscuits.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Can provoke asthma, rashes and hyperactivity. In several animal studies, it has reduced intestinal digestive enzymes and been found to produce mutagenic effects.
ERYTHROSINE or FD&C RED NO. 3 (E127)
A synthetic food dye derived from coal tar. Also the active ingredient in a pesticide used by farmers to kill maggot larvae and flies. Present in ice cream wafers, glace cherries and some canned foods.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Can provoke asthma, rashes and hyperactivity. In experimental animals, it has produced thyroid tumours in rats. It can also cause light sensitivity in humans and provoke mood swings.
AMARANTH (E123)
Most processed foods or drinks that are red contain amaranth. It is found in fruit flavoured fillings, jellies, packet cake mixes, red soft drinks and sweets.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Can provoke asthma, skin rashes and hyperactivity. Causes malignant tumours in female rats and defects in the embryos of chickens even at very low doses. Also inhibits the functioning of digestive enzymes.
CARAMEL (E150)
The most commonly used food colouring. It can be made by burning sugar but is usually manufactured by heating sugar or other carbohydrates with ammonia or sulphur dioxide. Each method produces a slightly different colour and flavour and health effects. There are at least 100 different commercially available caramels but the main groups are: plain caramel, caustic sulphite caramels, ammonia caramels and sulphite amonia caramels.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Ammonia caramels (widely used in cola and other soft drinks) contain a contaminant called 4-methylimidazole, which produces convulsions in animals in high doses. They have also been found to reduce the white blood cell counts in rats that were deficient in Vitamin B6 and to inhibit the ability of animals to absorb Vitamin B6.
SUN-SET YELLOW OR FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 (E1 10)
A yellow-orange synthetic coal-tar dye produced for the textile industry in the 19th century. It is found in a wide range of soft drinks, breakfast cereals, biscuits, pickles, packet soups, sweet, ice cream and processed meat.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Provoke asthma attacks, skin rashes, hyperactivity, vomiting and gastric upsets. Studies have found that it damages the kidneys and adrenal glands of laboratory rats and causes cancer in animals.
Human trials show it can be absorbed into the bloodstream and cross the placenta into the foetus. Another study fund that it reduces digestive enzymes – by 49% in the case of trypsin.
PONCEAU 4R OR COCHINEAL RED A (E124)
A red azo dye used in sweet and savoury products such as soups, jelly, red fruit pie fillings, biscuits, ice cream wafers, and packet mixes such as cake mix.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Can trigger asthma, skin rashes and hyperactivity. Inhibits certain digestive enzymes and the production of prostaglandins from essential fatty acids. Also damaged genes in some animal tests and has been shown to be a potential carcinogen and mutagen.
ALLURA RED OR FD&C RED NO. 40 (E129)
A red artificial dye used in biscuits, breakfast cereals, cake mixes, ice cream, desserts and jelly.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Provokes skin rashes in sensitive people.
INDIGO CARMINE OR INDIGOTINE (E132)
A dark blue coal-tar dye. Often mixed with tartrazine to produce a green colour in food, and with amaranth to produce a violet colour. It is present in biscuits, pudding mixes, sweets, drinks, baked goods, fruit fillings and gravy mixes.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure. Animals injected with Indigo Carmine developed fibrous tumours and liver abscesses. In one study, mice injected with a weak solution of Indigo Carmine died shortly afterwards from acute convulsions. In some studies it causes cancer and gene damage in animals.
BRILLIANT BLUE OR FD&C BLUE NO. 1 (E133)
A blue coal-tar dye that turns food green when mixed with tartrazine. Found in breakfast cereals, canned foods, biscuits and sweets.
HEALTH EFFECTS
May provoke skin rashes and hyperactivity in sensitive people. It has produced kidney tumours and mutagens in animal tests.
BRILLIANT BLACK (E151)
A black coal-tar dye found many sweets, soft drinks, brown sauces, soups and products that resemble blackcurrants and other dark fruits.
HEALTH EFFECTS
May trigger asthma, skin rashes and hyperactivity. Reduces the function of digestive enzymes and produce intestinal cysts in animal tests.
BROWN HT OR CHOCOLATE BROWN (E155)
A brown coal-tar dye used in dessert mixes, ice cream, yoghurts, soft drinks and chocolate-flavoured products.
HEALTH EFFECTS
May provoke asthma, skin rashes and hyperactivity. Caused liver nodules in animals and stained their tissues. Also has mutagenic effects.
GREEN S (E142)
A green coal-tar dye used in many canned foods, some packet breadcrumbs, cake and gravy mixes, lemon flavour and lime drinks.
HEALTH EFFECTS
Can provoke asthma, skin rashes and hyperactivity. In high doses, it produced sarcomas and stained the fetuses of rats. Also have mutagenic effects.