Brilliant Black BN
A synthetic black dye made from coal tar, used to colour confectionery, lumpfish caviar, soft drinks, and sauces.
Lab tests found DNA-damaging effects in human cells, though long-term animal studies did not show cancer. EFSA calculated that heavily exposed children under 10 can take in more than the acceptable daily limit. People with asthma or aspirin sensitivity may react to azo dyes including this one.
What is it?
Brilliant Black BN is a synthetic bis-azo dye derived from coal tar. It is a water-soluble tetrasodium salt that produces an intense black to blue-black colour. It is also called Black PN or Food Black 1, and carries the CI number 28440.
What does it do?
It colours food by absorbing light across the visible spectrum, producing a deep black appearance. It is stable across a broad pH range and highly water-soluble, making it suitable for beverages, gels, and aqueous food systems.
Where you will see it
Lumpfish caviar (imitation fish roe), blackcurrant jams and cake mixes, brown sauces, confectionery, ice cream, desserts, flavoured soft drinks, flavoured milk drinks, and food decoration coatings. On a UK label it appears as Brilliant Black BN, Black PN, or E151.
What the science says
In vitro genotoxicity signal, but no tumours in animal studies
A 2004 study found that Brilliant Black BN damaged DNA in human white blood cells and plant root cells in the lab, testing positive in both the micronucleus test and the Comet assay. However, when EFSA reviewed the full body of evidence in 2010, it noted that Brilliant Black BN was negative in long-term carcinogenicity studies in animals. The panel judged that the DNA damage seen in cell tests was not expected to lead to cancer at relevant exposure levels, and did not change the ADI on that basis.
Brilliant Black BN tested positive in micronucleus and Comet assays in human lymphocytes and plant root cells in vitro, indicating DNA-damaging potential under lab conditions.
EFSA's 2010 re-evaluation noted that Brilliant Black BN was negative in long-term carcinogenicity studies and concluded the in vitro DNA effects were not expected to result in carcinogenicity.
Children's exposure can exceed the accepted daily limit
EFSA set an ADI of 5mg per kilogram of body weight per day, based on a rat carcinogenicity and toxicity study. When it modelled actual dietary exposure in 2010, it found that children aged 1 to 10 at the 95th percentile could reach 6.9mg per kilogram per day, exceeding this limit. A 2015 refined assessment, using real usage data rather than maximum permitted levels, found that mean and high exposures were below the ADI under realistic consumption scenarios. The global food safety body JECFA uses a more conservative ADI of 1mg per kilogram per day, reflecting ongoing uncertainty.
EFSA modelling found 1- to 10-year-old children at the 95th percentile could reach 6.9mg/kg body weight per day, exceeding the ADI of 5mg/kg at the upper end of the range.
A refined 2015 exposure assessment using actual usage data rather than maximum permitted levels found mean and high-level exposure below the ADI for all population groups in realistic consumption scenarios.
JECFA set a more conservative ADI of 0-1mg/kg body weight per day at its 87th meeting, reflecting a different interpretation of the same toxicological dataset.
Azo dye pseudoallergy risk in sensitive people
As an azo dye, Brilliant Black BN can trigger pseudoallergic reactions in people with asthma or sensitivity to aspirin and salicylates. These reactions do not involve the standard IgE immune pathway and can occur on first exposure. Symptoms reported with azo dyes generally include urticaria, skin reactions, and in rarer cases breathing difficulties. There is no direct clinical evidence specific to E151 causing these reactions, but the class-level signal is established for azo dyes.
Azo dyes as a class are known triggers of pseudoallergic reactions in individuals with asthma or aspirin/salicylate sensitivity, producing urticaria and respiratory symptoms through non-IgE mechanisms.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
People with asthma, chronic urticaria, or aspirin/salicylate sensitivity should be aware that azo dyes including Brilliant Black BN may trigger reactions. Parents wanting to limit high-level synthetic colour intake in children under 10 should check for Brilliant Black BN, Black PN, or E151 on the label.
The honest read
The clearest concern here is the gap between what lab tests found and what long-term animal studies showed. A 2004 study detected DNA damage in human cells, yet rat carcinogenicity studies were negative. Two international bodies, EFSA and JECFA, reviewed the same data and reached ADI values five times apart (5mg/kg vs 1mg/kg) - a gap that reflects genuine scientific disagreement rather than settled consensus. Children eating lots of brightly coloured foods and drinks that use this dye can exceed EFSA's own limit based on 2010 modelling, though a later 2015 refined assessment put realistic exposure below the line. EFSA 2015 conclusion comes with a caveat: usage data were provided for only 11 of 37 authorised food categories. The azo dye pseudoallergy signal is real for sensitive individuals but has not been studied for E151 specifically. This is not a fully resolved picture.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E151 banned in the UK?
No. E151 Brilliant Black BN is authorised for use in England, Scotland, and Wales under the UK FSA approved-additives list, which was last updated in April 2025. It is not authorised in the United States or Japan.
Does E151 require a hyperactivity warning label?
No. The mandatory UK warning 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children' applies only to six specific colours (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129), known as the Southampton Six. E151 is not on that list and does not require this warning.
What foods contain E151?
Lumpfish caviar (imitation fish roe), black or dark confectionery, blackcurrant jams and drink mixes, ice cream, brown sauces, soft drinks, and food decoration coatings are the most common sources. Look for Brilliant Black BN, Black PN, or E151 on the ingredients list.
Is E151 vegan?
Yes. Brilliant Black BN is a fully synthetic dye derived from coal tar and contains no animal-derived ingredients.
Sources
- UK FSA regulated products: Brilliant Black PN (E151)
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of Brilliant Black BN (E151) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2010;8(4):1540
- EFSA: Refined exposure assessment for Brilliant Black BN (E151), EFSA Journal 2015;13(1):3960
- Macioszek & Kononowicz: The evaluation of the genotoxicity of two commonly used food colors: Quinoline Yellow (E104) and Brilliant Black BN (E151), PubMed PMID 15048155
- Business Companion UK: Colours and other additives in food (hyperactivity warning list)
- International Association of Color Manufacturers: Brilliant Black profile
- PMC: Food Safety and Health Concerns of Synthetic Food Colors: An Update
- Wikipedia: Brilliant Black BN
- Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation: List of Designated Additives (as of March 2024)
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