E120
Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines, Natural Red 4
An expensive red colouring, not suitable for vegetarians as it is extracted from the crushed carcasses of the female Dactylopius coccus, a cactus-feeding scale insect, which are killed by either immersion in hot water or by exposure to sunlight, steam, or the heat of an oven. The variety in the appearance of commercial cochineal is caused by these differing methods. It takes around 70,000 insects to make one pound of cochineal.
The water soluble form is used in alcoholic drinks with calcium carmine, the insoluble form, being used in a wider variety of products.
Together with ammonium carmine they can be found in alcoholic drinks, bakery products and toppings, biscuits, desserts, drinks, icings, pie fillings, variety of cheddar cheese, sauces and sweets.
It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
Colourings derived from archil, the lichen Rocella tinctoria.
Orcein is a reddish-brown dye obtained from orcinol (a crystaline compound derived from the lichen) by the action of aqueous ammonia and air.
Orchil is a purple/blue dye.
Banned throughout the EC.
A synthetic red azo dye useful in foods which must be heat treated after fermentation. Found in blancmange, marzipan, Swiss roll, jams and preserves, sweets, brown sauce, flavoured yogurts and packet soups, jellies, breadcrumbs and cheesecake mixes.
It appears to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions, particularly amongst those with an aspirin intolerance. Other reactions can include a rash similar to nettle rash and water retention.
It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
Whilst being a commonly used colour in the UK its use is banned in Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
A purplish-red (blackcurrant) synthetic coal tar or azo dye found in ice creams, gravy granules, jams, jelly, tinned fruit pie fillings and prawns and packeted cake mixes, soups and trifles.
It appears to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions, similar to nettle rash, particularly amongst those with an aspirin intolerance or asthmatics.
It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
It is banned in Norway and the United States (see E129) with a very restricted use in France and Italy (caviar only).
A red synthetic coal tar or azo dye found in dessert toppings, jelly, salami, seafood dressings, tinned strawberries and fruit pie fillings and packeted cake mixes, cheesecakes, soups and trifles.
It appears to cause allergic and/or intolerance reactions particularly amongst those with an aspirin intolerance or asthmatics.
It is banned in Norway and the United States.
A cherry-pink/red synthetic coal tar dye found in cocktail, glacé and tinned cherries, biscuits, chocolate, dressed crab, garlic sausage, luncheon meat, salmon spread and paté, scotch eggs, stuffed olives and packet trifle mix. It is also used to reveal plaque in dental disclosing tablets.
Because food processing at temperatures above 200°c partly degrades Erythrosine, releasing iodide, there are fears that it could affect thyroid activity. It is toxic to some strains of yeast cells and is also implicated in phototoxicity (a sensitivity to light).
It is banned in Norway and the United States.
A red synthetic coal tar or azo dye found mainly in cooked meat products and sausages but can also be found in jams and drinks.
Concerns that it can interfere with blood haemoglobin.
It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
Britain is the only European Union country to use Red 2G and it is also banned in Australia, Austria, Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
E129
Allura Red AC, FD&C Red 40
A red synthetic azo dye to replace Amaranth, E123, in the United States of America where E123 is prohibited.
May have slightly less allergy/intolerance reaction by aspirin intolerant people and asthmatics than most of the azo dyes, although those with skin sensitivities should be careful.
