E102
i
Tartrazine E102.
Bright yellow azo dye. Imported sweets, some bakery, packet desserts, fizzy drinks. Most UK brands reformulated post-2009; still appears on imported lines.
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Children & additives · UK
The UK app that flags the additives linked to children's behaviour.
Six artificial colours, six E-numbers, one warning label the FSA requires UK products to carry. We pick them out the moment you scan the pack. So you can read it in the aisle.
Free download Pro £3.99/month or £34.99/year Cancel any time
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The Southampton Six
Six colours.
One warning label.
In 2007 the FSA-funded Southampton study linked these six artificial colours, in combination with sodium benzoate, to increased hyperactivity and inattention in some children. UK products containing any of them must carry the warning "May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." Mandatory wording, not editorial.
E104
ii
Quinoline Yellow E104.
Yellow synthetic dye. Some imported sweets, fizzy drinks, ice creams and bakery. Banned as a food colour in the US and Australia.
E110
iii
Sunset Yellow E110.
Orange-yellow azo dye. Imported sweets, drinks, jelly and dessert mixes. EFSA reduced the ADI in 2009 then restored it in 2014 after further review.
E122
iv
Carmoisine E122.
Red azo dye, also called Azorubine. Imported sweets, marzipan, jellies, some flavoured yoghurts and drinks. Banned as a food additive in the US, Norway, Sweden, Austria and Japan.
E124
v
Ponceau 4R E124.
Red azo dye. Some imported sweets, cured meats, jellies, dessert mixes and packet sauces. Not permitted as a food additive in the US.
E129
vi
Allura Red AC E129.
Red azo dye, called Red 40 in the US. Imported sweets, snacks, fizzy drinks, cake icings and dessert mixes. California considered a Prop 65 listing in 2022; assessment ongoing.
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Where the colours show up on a UK shelf
The shelves
still to check.
Most major UK brands voluntarily removed the Southampton Six post-2009. The colours survive on imported products, party-aisle sweets, smaller brands and some bakery items. These are the categories where they still show up most often.
i
Party-aisle and imported sweets.
American candy aisles, Polish sweets, Asian snack lines. Scan before the trolley goes in.
ii
Cake icings and decorations.
Bright pink, yellow and red writing icings, sprinkle mixes and pre-iced biscuits.
iii
Fizzy drinks and squashes.
Cheaper own-brand orange squashes, kids' fruit-flavour drinks, ice-pop syrups.
iv
Jellies and packet desserts.
Powdered jelly crystals, instant trifle mixes, dessert pots in bright reds and oranges.
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The regulator-grade facts
What the
FSA says.
The numbers and the wording. Sourced to the FSA, the Southampton study and UK retained EU law.
Year of the Southampton study
2007
FSA-funded research at the University of Southampton, published in The Lancet. Looked at three- and eight-year-olds; tested colour mixtures with sodium benzoate.
Mandatory warning since
2010
UK products containing any of E102, E104, E110, E122, E124 or E129 must carry the warning "May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
Colours on the watchlist
Six
Tartrazine, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Carmoisine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red AC. We pick out every one on a UK pack you scan.
Sources we cite
Cited
FSA Southampton study (2007), UK retained EU Reg 1333/2008, EFSA additive re-evaluations, NHS food advice for children.
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Questions people ask
Frequently
asked.
The questions parents send us most often. Sourced to the FSA, the Southampton study and UK retained EU law.
Do food additives cause hyperactivity in children?
The 2007 University of Southampton study, funded by the FSA, found that mixtures of six artificial food colours combined with sodium benzoate were linked to increased hyperactivity in some children. The FSA accepted the findings and asked manufacturers to remove these colours voluntarily; UK products that still contain them must carry a mandatory warning.
What are the Southampton Six food colours?
Tartrazine (E102), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Sunset Yellow (E110), Carmoisine (E122), Ponceau 4R (E124), and Allura Red AC (E129). All six are artificial azo or synthetic colours used to dye sweets, drinks, baked goods and desserts bright yellow, orange or red.
Are artificial food colours banned in UK children's food?
Not banned. The FSA asked manufacturers to voluntarily remove the Southampton Six; many UK brands did. Products that still contain them must show the warning 'May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.' The warning is mandatory wording under UK retained EU Reg 1333/2008.
How do I check if my child's food contains these additives?
Read the ingredient list for the six E numbers (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) or their names (Tartrazine, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow, Carmoisine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red). Or scan the barcode in NutraSafe and we flag any of them on the pack.
Should I put my child on an additive-free diet?
Many additives are uncontroversial natural substances (vitamin C is E300, citric acid is E330). The practical step that lines up with the FSA position is to recognise the Southampton Six on a label and decide for yourself. Anything beyond that, take to your GP or a registered dietitian.
Scan any UK pack.
We flag every Southampton Six colour
before it hits the trolley.
Get NutraSafe on the App Store
→
Free download covers barcode scanning and the additive flags. Pro is £3.99 a month or £34.99 a year on iOS for the AI features, the workouts and the fasting.
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