Tartrazine (E102) — What You Need to Know
The score is an eNumbers.org editorial summary, not an official agency rating or medical advice. Start with the regulatory status and primary sources below.
What Is Tartrazine?
Tartrazine is a synthetic lemon-yellow azo dye derived from coal tar. It is one of the most widely used artificial food colorings in the world, found in everything from candy and soft drinks to medications. Despite its widespread use, it has been subject to significant regulatory scrutiny due to concerns about behavioral effects in children.
What Is It Used For?
Gives foods and beverages a bright yellow or yellow-green color. Used extensively in candies, snacks, sodas, pickles, and some medications. It can also create green shades when combined with blue colorings.
Exposure figures are population-level references, not personal limits. Actual intake varies by diet, product and jurisdiction.
Regulatory & Editorial Context
Studies, including the 2007 McCann et al. study published in The Lancet, found that a mixture of food colorings including tartrazine was associated with increased hyperactivity in children. The EU requires products containing tartrazine to carry the warning label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.' Some individuals with aspirin sensitivity may also experience adverse reactions.
eNumbers.org currently assigns Tartrazine an editorial context label of Questionable with a score of 4/10. This is 1.8 points below the database average for colorings (5.8/10). Dataset reference year: 2023. The dataset's population estimate equals about 0.1% of the listed ADI.
This score is not issued by EFSA, FDA, WHO or another regulator.
Commonly Found In
Always check the label for E102 or 'Tartrazine'
▶Chemical Information
Primary Sources
Source review: 2026-08-08Official references relevant to this page. Check the agency record for current permitted uses, limits and jurisdiction-specific wording.
- European Commission: EU Food Additives Database ↗EU authorisations and conditions of use
- WHO / FAO JECFA: JECFA food-additives database ↗International evaluations and acceptable daily intakes
- European Food Safety Authority: Food colours ↗EFSA colour-additive evaluations and re-evaluation programme
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Food Additive Status List ↗U.S. food-ingredient regulatory references
Frequently Asked Questions about Tartrazine
Quick Facts
- E-Number
- E102
- INS Number
- 102
- Category
- Colorings
- Origin
- Synthetic
- FDA Status
- Approved (FD&C Yellow No. 5)
- EFSA Status
- Authorized (with warning label required)
- ADI
- 7.5 mg/kg bw/day
- Dataset Review
- 2023
Carriers, processing aids and product certification can change suitability. Verify the final label and certifier.
Quick Links
Related Additives
Other colorings in the same family