Allura Red AC | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Allura Red AC is a synthetic azo dye that imparts a bright red colour, widely used in soft drinks, confectionery, bakery products, jellies, and breakfast cereals. It was introduced in the US in the 1980s partly as a replacement for Amaranth (Red No. 2) and remains one of the most commonly used artificial food colours globally.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

EFSA and JECFA have established an ADI of 0–7 mg/kg body weight/day and EFSA concluded the dye is not carcinogenic; intake estimates in the general adult EU population remain well below the ADI. Emerging research raises concerns about potential effects on gut microbiome integrity and serotonin production in the intestines, though EFSA found no evidence warranting a change to the ADI as of its 2015 refined exposure assessment. Allura Red AC may cause allergic reactions such as urticaria and asthma in some individuals, and its inclusion in a mixture of dyes has been associated with increased hyperactivity in children in the Southampton study.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Banned	Allura Red AC is not listed among FSSAI-approved synthetic colorants; its use in food and beverages is not permitted in India. FSSAI caps all permitted synthetic food colorants at 100 ppm.source
Health Canada (Canada)	Approved	Allura Red AC is permitted in food products in Canada with mandatory labelling requirements declaring its specific name.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Approved under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, listed in Annex II. Maximum use levels range from 25–500 mg/kg food and up to 200 mg/L in alcoholic beverages and 100 mg/L in non-alcoholic beverages. EU labelling must include the name 'Allura Red AC' and the E number E129.source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) / Food Standards Scotland (FSS) (United Kingdom)	Approved	Retained as approved post-Brexit in the GB food additives register with the same conditions as prior EU authorisation. Products must carry a warning label referencing possible effects on activity and attention in children.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Children — The 2007 Southampton study found a mixture of food dyes including Allura Red AC (E129) was associated with increased hyperactivity in children aged 3 and 8–9 years; UK/EU regulations require products containing E129 to carry a warning label about possible effects on children's activity and attention.

Other — EFSA concluded that Allura Red AC may cause allergic reactions such as urticaria and asthma, particularly in aspirin-sensitive individuals or when combined with other synthetic dyes.

Ibd — Emerging research (McMaster University, 2022) suggests Allura Red AC may disrupt the intestinal epithelial barrier and increase serotonin production, potentially exacerbating inflammatory bowel conditions such as colitis.

Pregnancy — Animal studies (Tsuda et al., 2001) reported DNA migration effects in pregnant mice administered Allura Red AC orally; while EFSA found this did not translate to carcinogenic risk, precautionary limitation during pregnancy is advisable pending further human data.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1PubMed. Allura Red AC is a xenobiotic. Is it also a carcinogen?, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
2other. European Parliament Written Question E-000887/2023: Harmfulness of E129 – Commission Response, 2023. europarl.europa.eu
3PubMed. Extraction, Analytical and Advanced Methods for Detection of Allura Red AC (E129) in Food and Beverages Products, 2016. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4EFSA. Refined exposure assessment for Allura Red AC (E 129), 2015. efsa.europa.eu
5EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Allura Red AC (E 129) as a food additive, 2009. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched5 citations