Disclaimer: First of all, I'd like to say, Don't believe a word I say. This reference is not validated by any anyone, and what's worse it's on the Internet of all places! Can you really believe anything here? Probably not. With that said here is my list of 100% true data regarding food dyes!

Well, there really isn't anything all that shocking about food dye, but everyone likes to think there is. Yes there have been a few problems. Red 2 and Red 3 Lake are known to cause cancer, but were widely used for years. Yellow 5 causes hives in certain people (but does not make you sterile). Many dyes have been banned by the FDA, the same company who approved them in the first place. Aside from that, everything is regulated quite well in my opinion. First allow me to go over a few terms about food dyes so we're all on the same page. Dye - An additive into a food/drug/cosmetic/etc. that will alter the color of the item. Used often for safety reason, but more commonly to enhance the visual appeal of the item. FDA - The Food and Drug Administration. This is the company who controls which dyes are approved, or banned. They also are part of the government. Don't you just trust them more and more. Lake - While most dyes are water soluble, lake dyes are water-insoluble. That means that lake dyes will not bleed or run together because they do not dissolve in water very well. Approved - A dye that is approved means the FDA declares it safe for use. There are several different areas that a dye can get approved in. They include foods, drugs, cosmetics, cosmetics around the eye, medical equipment, contact lenses, etc. The number after Approved, is the year it was approved. If there is a question mark (?), I couldn't find when. Banned - If the dye isn't approved it is often banned, in one or more the the same areas it can be approved in. With that out of the way, here is the big old color dye table. Name Food Status Drug Status Cosmetic Status Notes Used In Black 1 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Blue 1 Brilliant Blue FCF Approved: 1969 Approved: 1969 Approved: 1982 Eye Area Approved: 1994 Manganese Dioxide (MnO2) Approved in 1993. Color is Bright Blue Beverages, dairy products powders, jellies, confections, condiments, icings, syrups, extracts Blue 1 Lake Approved: ? Approved: ? ? Eye Are Approved: 1994 ? Blue 2 Indigotine Approved: 1987 Approved: 1987 ? Nylon Sutures Approved: 1971 (Limit 1% by weight) Color is Royal Blue Baked goods, cereals, snack foods, ice cream, confections, cherries, nylon surgical sutures Blue 2 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Blue 3 ? ? ? ? ? Blue 4 ? ? Approved: 1977 ? ? Blue 5 ? ? ? ? ? Blue 6 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Various Sutures Approved: 1978 and 1985 Limit 2.5% by weight) Surgical Sutures Blue 7 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Blue 8 ? ? ? ? ? Blue 9 ? ? ? Cotton and Silk Sutures Approved: 1974 (Limit 2.5% by weight) ? Brown 1 ? Approved: ? Approved: ? ? ? Green 1 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Green 2 Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? ? ? Green 3 Fast Green FCF Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 ? Color is Sea Green. Beverages, puddings, ice cream, sherbert, cherries, confections, baked goods, dairy products Green 3 Lake Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 ? ? Green 4 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Green 5 ? Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 Eye Area Approved:1994 Nylon 66 Nonabsorbable Sutures Approved: 1973 (Limit 0.6% by weight) Nylon 6 Nonabsorbable Sutures Approved: 1977 (Limit 0.6% by weight) Nylon 66 Nonabsorbable Sutures, Nylon 6 Nonabsorbable Sutures Green 6 ? ? Approved: 1982 Various Sutures Approved: 1963 and 1875 (Limit varies) Contact Lens Approved: 1983 (Limit 0.1%) Uniform Specitications Approved: 1986. Haptics of Intraocular Lenses Approved: 1993 (Limit 0.1%) Surigical sutures, contact lenses, intraocular lenses Green 7 ? ? ? ? ? Green 8 ? ? Approved: 1976 (Limit 0.01% of finished product) ? ? Orange 1 ? ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Contact Lens Approved: ? Contact lenses Orange 2 ? ? ? ? ? Orange 3 ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange 4 ? ? Approved: 1977 ? ? Orange 5 Dibromofluorescein ? ? Approved: 1984 (Limit 5% per day) Mouthwash/Toothpaste Approved: 1982 ? Orange 6 ? ? ? ? ? Orange 7 ? ? ? ? ? Orange 8 ? ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange 9 ? ? ? ? ? Orange 10 ? ? Approved: 1981 ? ? Orange 11 ? ? Approved: 1981 ? ? Orange 12 ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange 13 ? ? ? ? ? Orange 14 ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange 15 ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange 16 ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange 17 ? Approved: ? Banned: ? Approved: ? Banned: ? ? ? Orange B Approved: 1996 (Only used in hotdog/sasuage casings) ? ? ? Hotdog/sausage casings Citrus Red 2 Approved: 1963 (Only used in orange peels) ? ? ? Orange peels Red 1 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 2 Amaranth Approved: ? BANNED: 2/13/1976 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Large amounts caused tumors in female rats ? Red 3 Erythrosine Approved: 1969 Approved: 1969 ? ? Color is Cherry Red Mercino Cherries, canned fruits for salads, confections, baked goods, dairy products, snack foods Red 3 Lake Approved: ? BANNED: 2/1/1990 Approved: ? BANNED: 2/1/1990 Approved: ? BANNED: 2/1/1990 Large amounts supposed to cause thyroid tumors in male rats ? Red 4 Approved: ? BANNED: 9/23/1976 Approved: ? BANNED: 9/23/1976 Approved: 1976 ? ? Red 5 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 6 ? Approved: 1983 (Limit combined with Red 7, 5mg a day) Approved: 1983 ? ? Red 7 ? Approved: 1983 (Limit combined with Red 6, 5mg a day) Approved: 1983 ? ? Red 7 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Red 8 Brilliant Scarlet Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 9 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 10 Azorubine Carmoisine Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 11 Fast Crimson GR Acid Red #1 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 12 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 13 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 14 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 15 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 16 ? ? ? ? ? Red 17 ? ? Approved: 1976 Contact Lens Approved: 1990 Contact lenses Red 18 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 19 Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 20 ? ? ? ? ? Red 21 tetrabromofluorescein ? Approved: 1983 Approved: 1982 ? ? Red 21 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Red 22 Eosine ? Approved: 1983 Approved: 1982 ? ? Red 23 ? ? ? ? ? Red 24 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 25 ? ? ? ? ? Red 26 ? ? ? ? ? Red 27 ? Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 ? ? Red 28 ? ? ? ? ? Red 29 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 30 ? Approved: 1982 Approved: 1982 ? ? Red 30 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Red 31 ? ? Approved: 1976 ? ? Red 32 ? ? ? ? ? Red 33 ? Approved: 1988 (Limit 0.75 mg per day) Approved: 1988 (Limit 3% of finished product) Mouthwash/Toothpaste Approved: 1988 (Limit 3% by weight) Mouthwash, toothpaste Red 33 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Red 34 ? ? Approved: 1976 ? ? Red 35 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 36 ? Approved: 1969 (Limit 0.75mg per day) Approved: 1988 (Limit 3% of finished product) ? ? Red 37 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 38 ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Red 39 ? ? Approved: 1966 (Limit 0.1% of finished product) ? ? Red 40 Allura Red AC Approved: ? Approved: 1971 Approved: 1975 Eye Area Approved: 1994 The most commonly used dye. Color is Orange-Red Gelatins, beverages, dairy products and condiments. Red 40 Lake Approved: ? Approved: ? Approved: ? Eye Area Approved: 1994 ? Violet 1 Approved: ? BANNED: 4/10/1973 Approved: ? BANNED: 4/10/1973 ? ? ? Violet 2 ? Approved: 1976 Approved: 1976 Various Sutures Approved: 1974, 1980, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000 (Limit Varies) Contact Lens Approved: 1987 Introcular Lens Haptics Approved: 1990 (Limit 0.2% by weight) Meniscal Tacks Approved: 1999 (Limit 0.15% by weight) Surgical sutures, contact lenses, introcular lenses, meniscal tacks Yellow 1 ? ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Yellow 2 ? ? ? ? ? Yellow 3 ? ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Yellow 4 ? ? ? ? ? Yellow 5 Tartrazine Approved: 1969 Approved: 1969 Approved: 1985 Eye Area Approved: 1994 May cause itching or hives. Second most commonly used dye Color is Lemon Yellow Custards, beverages, Mountain Dew!, ice cream, confections, preserves, cereals Yellow 5 Lake Approved: ? ? ? Eye Area Approved: 1994 ? Yellow 6 Sunset Yellow Approved: 1986 Approved: 1986 Approved: 1986 ? Color is orange Cereals, baked goods, snack foods, ice cream, beverages, dessert powders, confections Yellow 6 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Yellow 7 ? ? Approved: 1976 ? ? Yellow 8 ? ? Approved: 1976 ? ? Yellow 9 ? ? Approved: ? BANNED: ? ? ? Yellow 10 Quinoline Yellow Acid Yellow #3 Food Yellow #13 ? Approved: 1983 Approved: 1983 Contact Lens Approved: 1987 Contact lenses, Toothpaste Yellow 10 Lake ? ? ? ? ? Yellow 11 ? ? Approved: 1976 ? ? Phew, what a lot to type in! If you are wondering where I got all this information from, I got it from the FDA themselves. You can even check my data by visiting them at: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/col-toc.html. Enjoy.

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