Yellow 5 food dye safety: is tartrazine bad for you?
Legal everywhere, but can trigger reactions and carries an EU warning label.
Also listed as: Tartrazine, FD&C Yellow No. 5, E102, INS 102, Yellow 5 Lake
Is Yellow 5 in your food?
Scan your label and get a verdict for every ingredient in seconds.
What is Yellow 5?
Yellow 5, also called tartrazine, is a synthetic lemon-yellow dye. It's often combined with blue dyes to make green, and appears in candy, soft drinks, chips and pickles.
Why manufacturers use it
It is inexpensive and gives a stable, bright yellow that holds up in processing and storage.
Where you'll find it
- Candy
- Soft and sports drinks
- Flavored chips
- Boxed macaroni (some brands)
- Pickles and relish
Potential health concerns
- Linked to hives and asthma-like reactions in a small number of people, especially those sensitive to aspirin.
- Included in the 2007 Southampton study linking dye mixes to hyperactivity in children.
How it works in the body
Gut bacteria break tartrazine into smaller compounds, which are mostly excreted. Reactions appear to be intolerance or sensitivity responses rather than true allergies in most cases.
How much is too much
EFSA kept an acceptable daily intake of 7.5 mg per kg of body weight. Heavy consumers of colored snacks and drinks, especially children, get closest.
What scientific studies indicate
Studies don't show it causes cancer at normal intakes. Sensitivity reactions are real but uncommon, and the behavior link is supported by some trials but not consistently.
Regulatory status by country
United States
Permitted; must be listed by name on labels. Included in FDA's planned petroleum dye phase-out.
European Union
Permitted as E102 with a mandatory warning label about children's activity and attention.
Canada
Permitted; must be declared by name.
Australia / NZ
Permitted (code 102).
Why it's rated this color
- Permitted in the US, EU, Canada and Australia/NZ.
- The US requires it be named on labels specifically because of sensitivity reactions.
- The EU requires a warning about children's activity and attention.
Sources and original research
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Tartrazine (E 102) — EFSA Journal, 2009
- Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children — The Lancet (McCann et al.), 2007
- Potential neurobehavioral effects of synthetic food dyes in children — California OEHHA, 2021
- Color Additives — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Last reviewed November 2026. Educational information, not medical advice.
Is Yellow 5 in your food?
Scan your label and get a verdict for every ingredient in seconds.