FDC yellow

Artificial yellow colourants cleared for foods under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act: FDC Yellow 5 (tartrazine) and FDC Yellow 6 (sunset yellow FCF). Widely used in confectionery, beverages and snacks, they must be declared on labels and meet certified purity standards. Tartrazine’s lemon-yellow colours soft drinks and sweets, but it can trigger reactions in aspirin-sensitive individuals and must be specifically declared for that reason in the US. Sunset yellow gives the orange of cheese snacks and beverages. Both face the EU’s children’s-activity warning, accelerating replacement by carotenoids and curcumin.