Yellow 5 (tartrazine, E102) explained, with labels and safety

Yellow 5 food dye and tartrazine labeling rules

Yellow 5 is FD&C Yellow No. 5, the US name for tartrazine (E102, CAS 1934-21-0). FDA permits it in food, drugs and cosmetics, and every batch must be certified under Part 80.

Yellow 6 is sunset yellow, or E110. FDA's list has no Yellow 40 or Yellow number 3; the red one people mean is Red No. 40.

US status and batch certification

FDA says a batch of tartrazine becomes "FD&C Yellow No. 5" when that batch is certified. Section 74.705 lets it color foods and dietary supplements at good manufacturing practice levels, unless a standard of identity bars added color. Yellow 6, sunset yellow, has the same food use and the same certification duty.

Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 on food labels

Section 74.705(d)(2) says foods that contain Yellow 5, "including butter, cheese, and ice cream," must list FD&C Yellow No. 5. The rule dates from 1979 and applied to foods from 1 July 1981. Under 21 CFR 101.22(k), "FD&C" and "No." may be dropped, so "Yellow 5" on a label is fine. "Artificial color" alone isn't enough for a certified color.

Yellow 6 still has to be named under 101.22(k)(1). But 74.706(d)(2) is "[Reserved]", so butter, cheese and ice cream have no special Yellow 6 rule.

Drug labels and the aspirin link

21 CFR 201.20 covers OTC and prescription human drugs that contain Yellow No. 5, if the drug is taken orally, nasally, rectally or vaginally, or used in the eye area. The label must say the product contains "FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine)". A prescription Precautions warning must say tartrazine "may cause allergic-type reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain susceptible persons," that sensitivity in the general population is low, and that it "is frequently seen in patients who also have aspirin hypersensitivity."

Section 74.1705(c)(2) requires these drugs to name both "FD&C Yellow No. 5" and "tartrazine", but mouthwashes and toothpastes that comply with 21 CFR 701.3 are exempt from that rule. The Yellow 6 OTC declaration in section 201.20(c) is suspended.

Is Yellow 5 bad for you?

FDA says Yellow 5 "may cause itching and hives in some people." Reactions are rare.

FDA says most children have no adverse effects from color additives, though certain children may be sensitive. FDA's 2011 Food Advisory Committee found a causal link between color additives and hyperactivity in children had not been established. Does Yellow 5 cause cancer? FDA does not approve a color additive found to cause cancer in animals or humans. In 1986, lifetime feeding studies "demonstrated no carcinogenic effects in mice or rats."

In 2009, EFSA kept the existing ADI for tartrazine. It said tartrazine may bring about intolerance reactions, such as skin irritation, in a small part of the population. Southampton data "did not substantiate a causal link" between individual colours and behaviour. JECFA set a separate ADI of 0 to 10 mg/kg body weight in 2016.

E102 warning on UK and EU labels

E102 and E110 are approved in the EU and on the GB list. Foods containing E110, E104, E122, E129, E102 or E124 must carry "'name or E number of the colour(s)': may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." That wording is Annex V of Regulation 1333/2008, and the UK retained text has it too. Drinks over 1.2% alcohol are exempt, as are meat health marks and stamping or decorative colouring on eggshells. FSA guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland links the warning to hyperactivity in some children.

Phase-out and state laws

Yellow 5 isn't banned in the US as of 9 October 2026. FDA's tracker describes voluntary pledges to remove Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2 from food by the end of 2027. Section 74.705 and section 74.706 are still the food listings. July 2026 actions did not revoke these yellows.

West Virginia deems both dyes unsafe in school food from 1 August 2025, and bans them in all food sold in the state from 1 January 2028. From the 2026-27 school year, Arizona schools in federal meal programs may not serve ultraprocessed food defined to include these dyes, and Texas keeps the dyes out of school meals. Virginia bars them in public school meals and competitive foods from 1 July 2027. Texas SB 25 requires this warning on labels developed or copyrighted on or after 1 January 2027: "WARNING: This product contains an ingredient that is not recommended for human consumption by the appropriate authority in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom." Confirm the Texas warning is being enforced before you print a 2027 label.

RegAffairs AI has a cited answer on Yellow 5, its labeling and its safety.