E122

Carmoisine (Azorubine)

Last reviewed: 11 May 2026

Synthetic red azo dye — Southampton Six, FSA warning required

What is E122?

E122 is Carmoisine (also called Azorubine), a synthetic red-purple azo dye derived from petroleum. It's the most heavily used red dye in UK products carrying the Southampton warning, alongside E129 Allura Red.

Also known as: Azorubine, Food Red 3, C.I. Food Red 3, Brilliant Crimson.

It's used because it's stable in acid (works well in soft drinks), heat-stable through baking and processing, and cheap to produce.

Where you'll see E122 on a UK label

Sweets and desserts

• Jelly, jelly sweets and gummies
• Marzipan (the classic cherry-pink colouring)
• Blancmange and instant dessert mixes
• Some ice lollies

Drinks

• Cherry- and raspberry-flavoured soft drinks
• Flavoured cordials and squash
• Some liqueurs and alcopops

Other foods

• Tinned strawberries and cherries
• Strawberry-flavoured yoghurts (some brands)
• Packet soups
• Some sausages — to enhance the pink-red colour

Non-food uses

• Children's medicine syrups
• Cosmetics

The Southampton Study and the UK warning rule

The 2007 Southampton Study (published in The Lancet) tested E122 alongside five other dyes — E102, E104, E110, E124, E129 — and the preservative E211 (sodium benzoate), in children aged 3 and 8–9. The study reported increased hyperactivity and reduced attention scores across the general child population, not only children with ADHD diagnoses.

Since 2010, UK and EU food law has required this warning on any product containing one of these six dyes:

"May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."

The dyes are commonly referred to as the Southampton Six.

Cross-reactivity with aspirin and NSAIDs

E122 is an azo dye structurally related to salicylates. The published clinical literature describes cross-reactivity in people sensitive to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and other NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen). Reported reactions include:

• Hives (urticaria), rashes and itching
• Rhinitis — runny nose, sneezing
• Bronchoconstriction, particularly in people with aspirin-induced asthma
• Cross-reaction with other azo dyes — people who react to E102 or E110 often react to E122

Azo-dye breakdown in the gut

Azo dyes like E122 are reduced by gut bacteria to aromatic amines. The long-term toxicological significance of these breakdown products under chronic dietary exposure remains under investigation; the published literature is mixed and regulators have not closed the question.

Regulatory status

UK / EU: approved with an ADI of 4mg/kg body weight per day. The Southampton warning is mandatory on any product containing E122.

US: the FDA has never approved E122 for food use. Imported US products will not contain it.

Norway, Sweden, Austria and Japan: historically restricted or not approved.

Who has the strongest reason to avoid E122

• People with aspirin or NSAID intolerance — meaningful cross-reactivity rate
• People with asthma, especially aspirin-triggered asthma
• Children with diagnosed ADHD — Southampton-study evidence
• Anyone with chronic urticaria — case reports of worsened hives
• People reactive to other azo dyes (E102, E110, E124, E129)

Red alternatives on UK labels

Manufacturers replacing E122 typically reach for plant- or insect-derived colours:

• Beetroot extract (E162) — purple-red
• Anthocyanins (E163) — from berries, red cabbage, blackcurrant
• Carmine / cochineal (E120) — insect-derived, not vegan
• Paprika extract (E160c) — orange-red
• Lycopene (E160d) — from tomatoes

None carry the Southampton warning.

Reading a UK label

Look for "E122", "Carmoisine", "Azorubine", or "colour: E122" in the ingredient list, and look for the FSA warning sentence under the ingredients. The warning is small print, but is mandatory.

Last updated: 11 May 2026