Ingredient Index · E102

Is Yellow 5 banned in Europe?

Restricted in EU

No. Yellow 5 (tartrazine, E102) is legal in the EU but must carry a warning about effects on children's activity and attention, a label most European brands chose to avoid by reformulating.

E-number: E102CAS: 1934-21-0 Also seen as: Tartrazine, FD&C Yellow No. 5, E102

What the EU does

Tartrazine is an authorized EU food color under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, with maximum levels per category, and it is one of the six Southampton dyes, so any food containing it must warn that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." EU maximum use levels are also generally tighter than US practice.

The practical result mirrors Red 40: legal on paper, scarce on shelves. The famous example is Kraft macaroni and cheese: the UK version has used paprika and turmeric for color since the warning era, while the US box kept Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 until Kraft reformulated the US recipe in 2016.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annexes II and V (E102 warning requirement)

What the US does

Legal under 21 CFR 74.705. Yellow 5 has one US distinction no other dye shares with it except by allergy logic: because it can trigger reactions (including in some aspirin-sensitive people), the FDA has long required it to be declared by name in ingredient lists rather than hidden behind "artificial color." No warning label is required.

Like the other synthetic dyes, it is part of the FDA's 2025 voluntary phase-out conversation and various state-level school-food restrictions: pressure, not prohibition.

Citation 21 CFR 74.705 (FD&C Yellow No. 5)

Products that commonly contain it

Yellow 5 supplies the lemon-lime end of the American color spectrum:

Mountain Dew and citrus sodas
Kraft Mac & Cheese (pre-2016 recipe) and store-brand equivalents
Cheetos and cheese-flavored snacks
Lemon-lime Gatorade
Lucky Charms and other colored cereals
Pickles and packaged rice dishes

What to look for on a label

US law requires this one to be named explicitly, which makes it easy to find:

"Yellow 5" or "FD&C Yellow No. 5" in US ingredient lists
"Tartrazine", the chemical name, common on medicines and imports
"E102" on EU-labeled products, accompanied by the children's-activity warning
Not the same as Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow, E110), a different dye with the same EU warning

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Frequently asked questions

Is Yellow 5 banned in Europe?

No. Tartrazine (E102) is authorized under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, but products containing it must carry a warning about possible effects on children's activity and attention. Most EU brands reformulated rather than print it.

Is Yellow 5 banned in the United States?

No. It is permitted under 21 CFR 74.705. Uniquely among US dyes, it must be declared by name on labels because of documented allergic-type reactions.

Does Kraft Mac & Cheese still contain Yellow 5?

No. Kraft removed Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 from the US recipe in 2016, switching to paprika, annatto, and turmeric: the colors the European version had already been using.

Does Yellow 5 cause hyperactivity?

The 2007 Southampton study linked dye mixtures to increased hyperactivity in some children; EFSA judged the evidence limited. The EU answered with a warning label, the FDA with continued review. Neither regulator concluded it is proven.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed June 10, 2026 · How we assign statuses