E129 / Colours
Allura Red AC
Safety in brief
Safe in moderation
Recorded EatMatrix rating, not a new clinical review. The amount, your sensitivities and country rules still matter.
- Watch for
- Recorded sensitivities: azo dye sensitivity; aspirin/salicylate sensitivity.
- Our advice
- Allura Red appears in the Southampton mixture evidence and a later laboratory gut experiment. The laboratory null result does not cancel the behavioural question, and the mixture result does not prove an Allura-Red-only effect.
What it is
Allura Red AC (FD&C Red No. 40) is a synthetic azo dye that gives a red-orange colour to foods, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics. It is one of the most widely used food dyes and is approved in most jurisdictions with maximum permitted levels, though the EU/UK requires a warning label about possible effects on children's activity and attention. People sensitive to azo dyes, including some with asthma or aspirin intolerance, may experience reactions.
Also appears on labels as: Allura Red AC, Allura Red, Red 40, FD&C Red 40, E129, E 129, E-129, Allura Red Powder, Allura Red Dye, Allura Red Coloring, Allura Red Food Color, Synthetic Red 40.
Dietary information
- Vegan
- Yes
- Halal
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Allergens
- Caution
Recorded ingredient information. Check the product label or certification: sources, other ingredients and cross-contact can vary.
Research & body effects
What behaviour and body-effect studies mean for E129
Children’s activity and attention: what the mixture trial can tell us
The 2007 Southampton crossover trial included 153 three-year-olds and 144 children aged eight or nine. Children received a placebo drink or one of two drinks containing several colours plus sodium benzoate. Thirty children did not complete the study. Behaviour scores increased in some comparisons, but findings depended on age, mixture and which participants were analysed.
This ingredient was in at least one tested mixture. The study cannot tell us which ingredient, or combination, produced a change. A higher behaviour score is not a new diagnosis of ADHD, and the result does not mean that every child responds.
Southampton trial: colour and sodium-benzoate mixtures. Indexed abstract and EFSA’s subsequent assessment read. The timeline uses the journal issue date. An indexed November 2007 erratum and commentary were identified; their complete texts and the full trial methods remain to be reviewed. Exact effect estimates are not reproduced.
What EFSA said about the Southampton study
In 2008, EFSA judged the evidence for a small mixture effect to be limited and inconsistent. It could not identify a responsible individual additive or establish the clinical importance of the changes. EFSA did not consider this study sufficient to change the acceptable daily intakes at that time. Use the separate, additive-specific assessments below for their own dates and scope.
EFSA assessment of the Southampton mixture study. Official EFSA summary and publication identity read. This is a historical study assessment, not a fresh 2026 assessment or a statement of current country permissions.
A 2026 study addresses how much people might consume
Researchers estimated food-colour intake in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, using a food-frequency questionnaire and maximum permitted concentrations. Estimated exposure was higher in children and adolescents. This ingredient was among the colours considered.
This was an intake model, not a trial of attention, cancer or other illness. A permitted maximum is not the measured concentration of every food. Its results cannot establish your exposure from a label or update a country’s legal status.
Brazilian food-colour intake estimates by age and income. Indexed abstract and publisher-supplied first-online date read. Full questionnaire methods, uncertainty analyses and declarations remain pending. Not a study of current legal permissions.
A 2025 gut study used human-derived material outside the body
Researchers exposed donor-derived gut cultures and intestinal cell lines to Allura Red. They did not find significant changes in the measured bacterial proportions or the tested cell toxicity under these short laboratory conditions. They also identified a breakdown product that deserves further study.
No volunteers ate Allura Red in this experiment. A null laboratory result does not prove that every long-term exposure is safe, and it does not answer whether children’s behaviour changes.
Allura Red in donor-derived gut cultures and intestinal cells. Indexed abstract and publisher-supplied online date read. Full methods and declarations remain pending. Human-derived material was tested outside the body; this was not an ingestion trial.
California’s broader evidence assessment
California’s OEHHA reviewed seven US-certified synthetic colours in 2021, including this one. It concluded that human evidence supports adverse behavioural effects in some children. This was a review of multiple studies, including older trials, not a new experiment proving an individual effect of every dye. Its scope differs from EFSA’s assessment of the single Southampton study.
OEHHA’s 2021 report. Selected human-evidence conclusions and trial-table entries read; the complete report and all underlying papers have not been appraised here. An assessment is not itself a country-wide legal ban.
What the UK label warning means
UK food-labelling guidance includes this colour among six that require an activity-and-attention warning on relevant food labels. The wording is “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. This is a labelling requirement, not a statement that every child reacts or that all uses are banned.
UK food and drink warnings. Check the country section for the separate question of permitted food uses and their conditions.
EatMatrix’s reading
Allura Red appears in the Southampton mixture evidence and a later laboratory gut experiment. The laboratory null result does not cancel the behavioural question, and the mixture result does not prove an Allura-Red-only effect.
A practical next step for parents
NICE does not recommend removing colours and additives as a universal ADHD treatment. If a particular food repeatedly seems linked to behaviour, discuss the pattern with the child’s clinician. A food-and-symptom diary can help; targeted dietary changes should involve a dietitian and the child’s care team. Keep the overall diet varied and nutritionally adequate.
Selected sources checked . Reading scope and known correction gaps are stated beside each source. Recent laboratory and exposure studies are labelled separately from human intervention trials. This is not an exhaustive clinical review, a personal diet prescription or a complete current-country assessment. These selected findings do not change recorded ratings or permissions.
Selected research on E129
How to read study types- Dietary exposure estimateBrazilian food-colour intake estimates by age and income
A food-frequency questionnaire and maximum permitted concentrations were used to estimate intake in southern Brazil. Estimates were higher in younger groups. Food concentrations were not individually measured, and behaviour or disease outcomes were not tested.
- Laboratory study, not an ingestion trialAllura Red in donor-derived gut cultures and intestinal cells
Short laboratory exposures did not significantly change measured bacterial proportions or cause the tested intestinal-cell toxicity. Donor-derived gut cultures are not people eating a food. The result does not establish long-term safety or resolve childhood-behaviour effects.
- Regulator reviewEFSA assessment of the Southampton mixture study
EFSA found limited evidence of a small, inconsistent mixture effect and could not attribute it to individual additives. That study alone did not justify changing acceptable daily intakes. This historical opinion does not replace current additive-specific assessments.
- Randomized trialSouthampton trial: colour and sodium-benzoate mixtures
The crossover trial included 297 children in two age groups. Some colour-plus-benzoate mixtures increased behaviour scores, with results varying by age, mixture and analysis. It cannot identify one responsible additive or establish new ADHD diagnoses.
Earlier source summaries checked ; latest additions checked . See the detailed research section for what was read and the remaining limits. This is a selection of sources, not a complete literature review. Authority assessments apply to the uses and places they cover.
Health notes from our ingredient record
- EU/UK warning: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
- Hypersensitivity reactions possible in susceptible individuals (e.g., some with asthma/aspirin intolerance).
Other references from our ingredient record
These links come from the original ingredient record. They are separate from the source reviews above and have not all been checked for the exact ingredient, amount consumed or claim. Dates are shown newest first.
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Allura Red AC (E 129) as a food additive — EFSA Panel on Food Additives, EFSA Journal (2009). Official EFSA scientific opinion (bibliographic reference, imported 2026-10-13). It covers the additive as a group assessment and is not an individual human study; read the opinion for its findings.
Country rules
Country checks for E129
Permission depends on the market, type of food, amount and conditions. A scientific opinion or an E-number alone does not establish a legal use. These checks are separate from the stored EatMatrix rating.
Compare all eight markets and their sources
| Market | What is checked |
|---|---|
| European Union | Regulation (EC) 1333/2008, Annex II Part B, version , contains the exact code E129: Allura Red AC. Listing alone does not allow every food use. Part E food categories, limits, specifications and applicable later acts still need a product-specific check. Source read: . |
| Great Britain | The FSA register record for E129 (Allura Red AC) lists “Authorised” in England, Scotland and Wales. Register updated: 01 April 2025; record checked: . Food-specific conditions and specifications still need a separate legal check. |
| United States | Complete current-use review pending. Any scoped provision in the label guide above applies only to the stated use. FDA explains the applicable food-additive and GRAS framework. |
| Northern Ireland | Review pending. Check the applicable EU rules and territory arrangements; the GB register alone does not establish this status. FSA guidance is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| Canada | Named food-use records located. Health Canada lists the preparations below for specified foods and purposes. This is conditional permission for those uses, not approval of every product or a personal safety verdict. Only the named records and conditions below were located. Exact composition and specifications still need matching. Source tables captured . List publication dates are shown separately. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a condition of use, not an unlimited amount or a recommended intake. Food and Drug Regulations B.16.003 requires the listed source, purpose, amount and other conditions to match. The official consolidation read was current to 21 September 2026; product specifications and applicable later changes still need checking. Read 11 listed food-use conditionsAllura Red Footnote *Health Canada: List of Permitted Food Colours. List published ; item A.2.
Official list footnote: * This food colour is a synthetic colour as defined in section B.16.001 of the Food and Drug Regulations . For the purposes of section B.16.012 of the Food and Drug Regulations , the synthetic colours identified in the list above are water soluble with the exception of citrus red No. 2. Return to footnote * referrer EatMatrix reading: match the exact preparation and food first. A manufacturing limit is not an acceptable daily intake (ADI). A label without the amount cannot establish exposure, and an unlisted name here does not establish a ban. |
| Australia | Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| New Zealand | Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| Japan | Review pending. The relevant list, identity and use standards need an additive-specific check. CAA food-additive lists is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
Sources & review status
Check what each source covers: an authority’s conclusion, a research finding and a country’s legal permission answer different questions.
What this guide covers
- Selected research
- 4 source summaries, with publication dates and study types. Several publications may describe the same study population.
- Official assessment sources
- Commission-listed EFSA references for E129. Bibliographic identity checked; latest findings and current use rules need separate review.
- Original ingredient record
- 1 research link; newest recorded date: . Sources added separately to this guide are not included in this count.
This guide brings together our ingredient record and the dated sources shown here. Missing information describes a gap in this guide; it does not mean an ingredient is untested, safe or harmful. This is not a complete review of every study, preparation or current country rule. The amount in a product and how it is used still matter.
How to read the ratings, research and country checksAgency labels recorded by EatMatrix
These are imported database classifications, not verified current statements from each authority. Use the dated official sources below for their actual scope and conclusions.
| Authority | Database label |
|---|---|
| FDA | Safe in moderation |
| WHO | Safe in moderation |
| EFSA | Safe in moderation |
| FSANZ | Safe in moderation |
| Japan | Safe in moderation |
| UK FSA | Safe in moderation |
| Health Canada | Safe in moderation |
Official assessment sources for E129
The European Commission’s re-evaluation table lists official EFSA documents for this additive. Their identifiers and subjects were checked against publisher bibliographic records. A missing research link in the EatMatrix database does not mean the additive has never been assessed.
Name in the Commission table: Allura Red AC.
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Allura Red AC (E 129) as a food additive
EFSA scientific opinion. Published: .
These are assessment references, including historical or group assessments. They do not establish the latest scientific conclusion, a human health benefit or risk, or current permission to use the additive in a particular food. Later assessments, corrections and food-use conditions need separate review. The recorded EatMatrix rating above is unchanged.
European Commission re-evaluation table, status as of . EatMatrix checked this bibliography on .
Database updated: . What does an E number mean on a food label?
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is EatMatrix's recorded rating for E129?
The recorded EatMatrix rating for E129 (Allura Red AC) is “Safe in moderation”. It is calculated from labels stored in our ingredient database. These labels are not verified current regulator decisions or country permissions. A database update date is not a scientific review date.
Is E129 vegan, halal or gluten-free?
According to our ingredient data for Allura Red AC — vegan: yes, vegetarian: yes, halal: yes, kosher: yes, gluten-free: yes, dairy-free: yes. Manufacturing sources can vary between products; check the label if it matters to you.
What is E129 and why is it used?
Allura Red AC (FD&C Red No. 40) is a synthetic azo dye that gives a red-orange colour to foods, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics. It is one of the most widely used food dyes and is approved in most jurisdictions with maximum permitted levels, though the EU/UK requires a warning label about possible effects on children's activity and attention. People sensitive to azo dyes, including some with asthma or aspirin intolerance, may experience reactions.
Does E129 contain allergens?
No known allergens are recorded for Allura Red AC, with a caution: azo dye sensitivity aspirin/salicylate sensitivity.
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This page shows information and classifications recorded in our ingredient database. Current scientific and market-specific verification remains pending as described above. It is general information, not medical advice.