Food colours

Aktualizované:

4 december 2025

4 minút čítania

Food colours are food additives that are added to food and drinks mainly for the following reasons:

Making up for colour loss following exposure to light, air, moisture or variations in temperature;
Enhancing naturally occurring colours;
Adding colour to foods that would otherwise be colourless or coloured differently.

Under EU legislation, food additives, including food colours, are permitted for use, provided their use does not alter the nature, substance or quality of the food in a way that could mislead consumers.

Food colours are contained in many foods, including snack foods, margarine, cheese, jams and jellies, desserts and drinks.

Each food colour authorised for use in the European Union is subject to a rigorous safety assessment by EFSA. In the EU, as for all food additives, the presence of food colours must be indicated on the label either by its name or its E number A number used in the European Union to identify permitted food additives. An E number means that an additive has passed safety tests and has been approved for use. Check out the full list of permitted food colours in the EU.

Latest

As part of its comprehensive re-evaluation of all food additives introduced to the market before January 2009, EFSA undertook a safety review of all authorised food colours. The work on this group of food additives, flagged as a priority by the European Commission, was completed by EFSA between 2009 and 2016.

As a result of the re-evaluation, the European Commission requested EFSA to update its assessments for some of the re-evaluated food colours, for example where EFSA’s experts had previously identified data gaps requiring additional research, or to refine the estimates of exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time.

The following table lists food colours authorised for use in the EU and the status of EFSA’s respective safety assessments. EFSA’s ongoing re-evaluations can be tracked via our public tool Open EFSA.

E-number	Name	EFSA’s assessment
E 100	Curcumin	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2014 Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 101	Riboflavins	Re-evaluation completed in 2013
E 102	Tartrazine	Re-evaluation completed in 2009
E 104	Quinoline Yellow	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2015 Re-evaluation completed in 2009
E 110	Sunset Yellow FCF/Orange Yellow S	Refinement of the exposure assessment and reconsideration of temporary ADI completed in 2014 Re-evaluation completed in 2009
E 120	Carminic acid, Carmines	Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 122	Azorubine/carmoisine	Refinement of exposure assessment completed in 2015 Re-evaluation completed in 2009
E 123	Amaranth	Refinement of exposure assessment completed in 2013 Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 124	Ponceau 4R, Cochineal Red A	Refinement of exposure assessment completed in 2015 Re-evaluation completed in 2009
E 127	Erythrosine	Re-evaluation completed in 2011
E 129	Allura Red AC	Refinement of exposure assessment completed in 2015 Re-evaluation completed in 2009
E 131	Patent Blue V	Re-evaluation completed in 2013
E 132	Indigotine, Indigo carmine	Follow-up completed in 2023
E 133	Brilliant Blue FCF	Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 140i	Chlorophylls	Follow-up ongoing Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 140ii	Chlorophyllins	Follow-up ongoing Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 141	Copper complexes of chlorophylls, chlorophyllins	Follow-up ongoing Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 142	Green S	Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 150a	Plain caramel	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2012 Re-evaluation completed in 2011
E 150b	Caustic sulphite caramel	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2012 Re-evaluation completed in 2011
E 150c	Ammonia caramel	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2012 Re-evaluation completed in 2011
E 150d	Sulphite ammonia caramel	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2012 Re-evaluation completed in 2011
E 151	Brilliant Black BN	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2015 Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 153	Vegetable carbon	Follow-up ongoing Re-evaluation completed in 2012
E 155	Brown HT	Refinement of the exposure assessment completed in 2014 Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 160a	Carotenes	Evaluation of proposed extension of use completed in 2016 Statement on the safety of β-carotene use in heavy smokers Re-evaluation completed in 2012
E 160b(i)	Annatto bixin	Follow-up completed in 2019 Refinement of the exposure completed in 2017 Re-evaluation and evaluation of an extension of use completed in 2016
E 160b(ii)	Annatto norbixin	Follow-up completed in 2019 Refinement of the exposure completed in 2017 Re-evaluation and evaluation of the proposed extension of use completed in 2016
E 160c	Paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin	Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 160d	Lycopene	Evaluation of the proposed extension of use completed in 2017 Re-evaluation completed in 2008
E 160e	Beta-apo-8′-carotenal (C 30)	Re-evaluation completed in 2014
E 161b	Lutein	Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 161g	Canthaxanthin	Re-evaluation completed in 2010
E 162	Beetroot red, betanin	Evaluation of proposed extension of use completed in 2016 Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 163	Anthocyanins	Re-evaluation completed in 2013
E 170	Calcium carbonate	Follow-up completed in 2023 Re-evaluation completed in 2011
E 171	Titanium dioxide	Follow-up of the re-evaluation completed in 2021 Re-evaluation completed in 2016
E 172	Iron oxides and hydroxides	Follow-up ongoing Re-evaluation completed in 2015
E 174	Silver	Follow-up of the re-evaluation completed in 2025 Re-evaluation completed in 2016
E 175	Gold	Follow-up ongoing Re-evaluation completed in 2016
E 180	Litholrubine BK	Re-evaluation completed in 2010

Milestones

2021
EFSA updates its safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E 171), concluding that it can no longer be considered safe as a food additive A substance deliberately added to foods or beverages for beneficial technological reasons (e.g. to preserve, flavour, colour or ensure a particular texture). Food additives are not normally consumed by themselves nor used as typical ingredients in food.
2016
EFSA completes its re-evaluation of all previously authorised food colours. Overall, EFSA re-assessed 41 food colours.
2013
EFSA scientists further strengthen their coordination of food and feed additive Product intentionally added to animal feed to improve: i) the quality of the feeds ii) the quality of the food products obtained from animals; iii) animal performance and health evaluations, highlighting their joint work on colours.