Ingredient Index · E129

Is Red Dye 40 banned in Europe?

Restricted in EU

No: despite what most lists claim, Red Dye 40 is legal in the EU; products containing it must carry a warning that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children," which is why most European brands reformulated voluntarily.

E-number: E129CAS: 25956-17-6 Also seen as: Allura Red AC, FD&C Red No. 40, E129, CI 16035

What the EU does

Red 40 (Allura Red AC, E129) is an authorized food color in the EU under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, with maximum use levels set per food category. What the EU added in 2010, and the US never did, is a mandatory warning: any food containing E129 (or five other so-called Southampton dyes) must state on the label that the color "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."

That sentence did what a ban never had to. Printing a child-behavior warning on a cereal box is commercially unattractive, so most European manufacturers swapped Red 40 for alternatives like carmine or anthocyanins. The dye is legal; you just rarely see it. The warning traces to the 2007 Southampton study, which EFSA judged limited evidence: insufficient for a ban, enough for the label.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annexes II and V (E129 warning requirement)

What the US does

Fully legal and ubiquitous. FD&C Red No. 40 is permitted under 21 CFR 74.340 with no warning label and no category restrictions beyond good manufacturing practice. It is the most-used certified color in the American food supply, by FDA certification volume, appearing in everything from sports drinks to strawberry-flavored anything.

The US conversation is moving, though: the FDA asked industry in 2025 to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes voluntarily, and several states have passed laws restricting synthetic dyes in school food. None of that is a federal ban; Red 40 remains authorized.

Citation 21 CFR 74.340 (FD&C Red No. 40)

Products that commonly contain it

Red Dye 40 is the workhorse red of the US shelf. It commonly appears in:

Doritos and flavored tortilla chips
Red and fruit-punch Gatorade
Skittles, M&Ms, and Twizzlers
Froot Loops and other colored cereals
Strawberry-flavored milk, yogurt, and snacks
Some oral medications and vitamin gummies

What to look for on a label

The same dye travels under several names. Look for:

"Red 40" or "FD&C Red No. 40" on US labels
"Allura Red" or "Allura Red AC", the chemical name
"E129" on EU-labeled products (with the children's-activity warning)
Don't confuse it with Red 3 (erythrosine, E127), a different dye that the US, not the EU, has now banned from food

Or skip the squinting: paste the whole ingredient list into our checker and it flags everything in our database. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is Red Dye 40 banned in Europe?

No. Allura Red (E129) is an authorized food color under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. Products containing it must carry a warning about possible effects on children's activity and attention, which led most EU brands to reformulate voluntarily.

Why do so many lists say Red 40 is banned in Europe?

Because the warning label made it disappear from most EU shelves, which looks like a ban from the outside. The legal status is "authorized with a mandatory warning," not "prohibited."

Is Red Dye 40 banned in the United States?

No. It is permitted under 21 CFR 74.340 with no warning label. The FDA asked manufacturers in 2025 to phase out synthetic dyes voluntarily, and some states restrict dyes in school food, but there is no federal ban.

What was the Southampton study?

A 2007 UK trial that linked mixtures of six food dyes plus sodium benzoate to increased hyperactivity in some children. EFSA found the evidence limited, so the EU required a warning label rather than a ban.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed June 10, 2026 · How we assign statuses