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Dye Names on Labels: Every Alias for Red 40 and Friends

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One reason dyes are easy to miss is that the same color can show up under several names. “Red 40,” “FD&C Red No. 40,” “Allura Red AC,” and “E129” all mean the same thing. Here’s a cheat sheet of the names you’re most likely to see for the seven synthetic dyes parents ask about, plus how to decode the little words around them.

How US labels name synthetic dyes

On packaged foods sold in the US, synthetic (certified) colors have to be listed by name in the ingredient list. The rules allow two shortcuts and one requirement (21 CFR 101.22(k)):

  • The “FD&C” prefix can be dropped.
  • The word “No.” can be dropped. So “FD&C Yellow No. 5” can appear as “Yellow 5.”
  • Lake forms must include the word “Lake,” as in “Yellow 5 Lake.”

Companies may also add an alternative name in parentheses, such as “Yellow 5 (tartrazine).” Medicines usually use the full “FD&C … No. …” form in their inactive ingredients.

The alternative names below come from the FDA’s official color additive listings, which include each dye’s other names and, where one exists, its E-number (the code used in the EU and many other countries).

Red 40

  • Red 40 · FD&C Red No. 40 · Red 40 Lake · FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake
  • Allura Red AC · Allura Red
  • E129
  • C.I. 16035 · Food Red 17

The FDA lists typical food uses as cereal, beverages, gelatins, puddings, dairy products, and confections, and it is also approved for drugs. (FDA listing)

Yellow 5

  • Yellow 5 · FD&C Yellow No. 5 · Yellow 5 Lake
  • Tartrazine
  • E102
  • C.I. 19140 · Acid Yellow 23 · Food Yellow 4

In many oral medicines, US rules require Yellow 5 to be named along with “tartrazine” (21 CFR 201.20). (FDA listing)

Yellow 6

  • Yellow 6 · FD&C Yellow No. 6 · Yellow 6 Lake
  • Sunset Yellow FCF · Sunset Yellow · Orange Yellow S
  • E110
  • C.I. 15985

The FDA lists typical uses including cereals, snack foods, baked goods, gelatins, beverages, crackers, and sauces. (FDA listing)

Blue 1

  • Blue 1 · FD&C Blue No. 1 · Blue 1 Lake
  • Brilliant Blue FCF · Brilliant Blue
  • E133
  • C.I. 42090 · Acid Blue 9

(FDA listing)

Blue 2

  • Blue 2 · FD&C Blue No. 2 · Blue 2 Lake
  • Indigo carmine · Indigotine
  • E132
  • C.I. 73015 · Acid Blue 74

(FDA listing)

Green 3

  • Green 3 · FD&C Green No. 3 · Green 3 Lake
  • Fast Green FCF
  • C.I. 42053 · Food Green 3

The FDA’s listing gives no E-number for Green 3. (FDA listing)

Red 3

  • Red 3 · FD&C Red No. 3
  • Erythrosine · Erythrosine B
  • E127
  • C.I. 45430 · Food Red 14

You shouldn’t see “Red 3 Lake” on new products: the FDA ended the listing for lakes of Red 3 in 1990. Red 3 itself is being phased out too. The FDA has revoked its authorization in food and dietary supplements effective January 15, 2027, and in ingested drugs effective January 18, 2028 (FDA listing). Products made before those dates may stay on shelves for a while. Details are in our dye law tracker.

Medicine-only colors: D&C dyes

Medicines can contain synthetic colors that aren’t allowed in food. They start with “D&C” instead of “FD&C.” Two you’ll see on ingested medicines are D&C Red No. 33 and D&C Yellow No. 10 (FDA). If you’re avoiding synthetic dyes, count these too.

Words that aren’t a dye name, and what they mean

  • “Artificial color,” “color added,” “colored with ___”: on US food labels, these collective terms are used for colors that are exempt from certification, meaning natural-source colors. Certified synthetic dyes have to be named individually (21 CFR 101.22(k)). Imported or older packaging may not follow this pattern, so if you’re unsure, contact the maker.
  • “No artificial colors”: since February 2026, the FDA allows this claim on products with no petroleum-based colors, even if they contain natural-source colors (FDA).
  • Carmine / cochineal extract: a red color made from insects. It’s not a synthetic dye, but it must be named on food labels because some people are allergic to it (FDA).
  • Natural-source colors: beet juice, annatto, turmeric, paprika, spirulina extract, fruit and vegetable juice, and newer FDA approvals like gardenia blue and galdieria extract blue.

Quick scanning tips

  1. Scan for color words followed by a number: Red, Yellow, Blue, Green.
  2. Scan for “Lake.”
  3. On imports, scan for E102, E110, E127, E129, E132, and E133.
  4. On medicines, scan for “FD&C,” “D&C,” and “tartrazine.”

Want these names on one printable page for your wallet or phone? Get our free cheat sheet below.

Sources

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