COLOURS
(100-181)
"HARM" seems to be intrinsic part of "pHARMa"
|
Number |
Name |
Comments |
| 100 E100 |
Curcumin | Orange-yellow colour; derived from the root of the curcuma plant, but can be artificially produced; used in cheese, margarine, baked sweets and fish fingers It has beneficial effect on the blood sugar in diabetics. It can increase the liver's secretion of bile and protect the liver from toxic substances. Curcumin may be used to compensate for fading of natural colouring in pre-packed foods. Recognised as an anti-carcinogenic agent during laboratory tests. Typical products include fish fingers, fizzy drinks, butter and other dairy produce, cakes and biscuits, margarine, processed cheese, curry powder, cooking oil, sweets, cereals and sauces. |
| 101 E101 |
(i) Riboflavin Vitamin B2 |
An essential dietary requirement, as it aids in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. It is also needed for other functions including red blood cell formation, respiration, antibody production and general well-being. Activation of vitamin B6 and folic acid require riboflavin. Riboflavin has been found to aid in the treatment of eye disorders, e.g. cataracts. It is found naturally in liver, kidneys, eggs, milk but is destroyed upon exposure to light. It is manufactured industrially using yeast or other fermenting organisms, used as a yellow colouring and as vitamin fortification, but is difficult to incorporate into most foods due to poor solubility. Typical products include cereals, sauces, vitamin supplements, soups. |
| E101a | (ii) Riboflavin - 5'-[phosphate] | Riboflavin-5'-phosphate is chemically prepared from Riboflavin (converted to free Riboflavin upon ingestion), and is used to provide vitamin B2 enrichment, also a yellow
colour and is likely derived from genetically modified organisms. . It may be used in preference to Riboflavin due to better solubility, however it is more expensive. Typical products include milk products, jams, sugar products. |
| 102 E102 |
Tartrazine | FD&C Yellow No:5; CI Acid Yellow23, CI Food Yellow 4. Coal tar dye. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon. Cancer probability. Known to provoke asthma attacks (though the US FDA** do not recognise this) and urticaria (nettle rash) in children (the US FDA** estimates 1:10 000), altered states of perception and behaviour, uncontrolled hyper agitation and confusion; wakefulness in young children. Is known to inhibit zinc metabolism and interfere with digestive enzymes. Tartrazine sensitivity is also linked to aspirin sensitivity; used to colour drinks, sweets, jams, cereals, snack foods, canned fish, packaged
soups and a dye for wool and silk.. Banned in Norway, Austria and Finland. Restricted use in Sweden and Germany. |
| 103 | Alkanet (Chrysoine resorcinol) |
Natural 'port-wine' colour from A. tinctoria plant. Listed in Australia in 1992. Banned in US in 1988. |
| 104 E104 |
Quinoline Yellow | D&C Yellow No:10. A synthetic 'coal tar' dye, prepared by sulfonating 2-(2-quinolyl) indan-1,3-dione, and the product is essentially sodium salts of a mixture of disulfonates, monosulfonates and trisulfonates of the dione. The calcium and potassium salts may also be permitted. Quinoline Yellow is used to give a yellow to greenish yellow colour. Typical products include ice lollies, scotch eggs, smoked fish; used in lipsticks hair products, colognes; also in a wide range of
medications. It may cause asthma, rashes and hyperactivity. Aspirin sensitive people must avoid it. Banned in Australia, Japan, USA and Norway. |
| E105 | Fast Yellow AB, Fast Yellow, Acid Yellow, C.I. 13015, C.I. 14270 or Food Yellow 2 | An azo dye. It is used as a food dye. It is now delisted in both Europe and USA and is not used anymore, as toxicological data shown it is harmful. |
| E106 | Riboflavin - 5'-[sodium phosphate] |
A coenzyme for a number of oxidative enzymes including NADH dehydrogenase. It is the principal form in which riboflavin is found in cells and tissues. Energetically it is more expensive to produce, but is more soluble than E101. The molecule consists mainly of the monosodium salt of the 5'-monophosphate ester of riboflavin dihydrate obtained from chemical action on E101 riboflavin. It is rapidly turned to free riboflavin after ingestion. It is found in many foods for babies and young children as well as jams, milk products and sweets and sugar products. Listed in Australia as 100 prior to 1992. |
| E107 | Yellow 2G | Acid yellow 17, CI Food yellow 5. Coal tar dye. the HACSG* recommends to avoid it; It may cause asthma, rashes and hyperactivity. People sensitive to aspirin and asthma sufferers should avoid it. Typical products are soft drinks. It is also used commercially in printing inks. Banned in Australia (1992), Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and USA. |
| 110 E110 |
Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S | FD&C Yellow No:6, CI Food yellow 3. consists primarily of disodium 2-hydroxy-1(4 sulfonatophenylazo) naphthalene-6-sulfonate, although the calcium and potassium salts are also used.Cancer Probability. Used in cereals, bakery, sweets, snack foods, ice cream, drinks and canned fish; synthetic; also in many medications including Berocca, Polaramine, Ventolin syrup; can provoke allergic reactions such as abdominal pain, hyperactivity, hives, nasal congestion,
bronchoconstriction, kidney tumours, chromosomal damage, and distaste for food. It produces urticaria, swelling of the blood vessels, gastric upset. Potentially dangerous to asthmatics; and persons with rhinitis should avoid it, is know to upset some of the digestive enzymes. Has been linked to growth retardation and severe weight loss in animal tests and increased incidence of tumours in animals.
Typical products include orange squash, jelly, jam, cake, sweets, soups, desert mixes,
yoghurt, ice lollies, sauces. Banned in Finland, Norway and the UK. |
| E111 | Orange GGN, alpha-naphthol orange | Orange colour. It is the disodium salt of 1-(m-sulfophenylazo)-2-naphthol-6-sulfonic acid. It is currently delisted in Europe and USA, as toxicological data shown it is harmful. |
| 120 E120 |
Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines | Red colour; made from insects; rarely used; the HASCG recommends to avoid it, especially hyperactives, rhinitis sufferers, urticaria, asthmatics and aspirin sensitives. a natural red colour obtained by crushing of the female Dactilopius coccus, a cactus-dwelling insect indigenous to Central America. The dye is expensive due to the sheer quantity of shells required to produce a small amount. Alcoholic drinks may contain the water soluble form (ammonium carmine), but the insoluble calcium carmine is found in a many more products. Other commercial uses include as an antineoplastic agent, as a 0.025% solution in concentrated H2SO4 for photometric and fluorimetric determination of B, as an indicator and diagnostic agent (gives colour reactions with Mg, Ge, Pb, Zr, Th, Mo, U). E120 has been linked to the cause of allergic reactions. Typical products include alcoholic beverages, dyed cheeses, puddings, icings, sweets, sauces, fizzy drinks, cakes, soups and pie fillings. Banned in USA. |
| E121 | Orcein, Orchil | Orcein and orchil are colourings derived from archil, the lichen Rocella tinctoria. Orcinol is derived from the lichen and then converted to orcein (a reddish-brown dye, also used as a microscopical stain) by the action of aqueous ammonia and air. Orchil is a purple-blue dye. Orcein is a mixture of compounds with a phenoxazone structure, composed of hydroxy-orceins, amino-orceins and amino-orceinimines (see molecular diagrams). Hans Musso (1925-1988) published many papers about orcein. |
| 122 E122 |
Azorubine, Carmoisine | Red colour; coal tar derivative; may be carcinogenic. Can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; and can cause hyperactivity, urticaria and oedema. It is also used in photometric determination of Mg, Pd, Cu, Sn, Cr.
Typical products are confectionary, marzipan, jelly crystals, puddings, cakes, jams, sauces, sweets,
yoghurt, soups. Banned in Austria, Japan, Norway, Sweden and USA. |
| 123 E123 |
Amaranth | FD&C Red No. 2, CI Acid Red 27, CI Food red 9. Originally derived from the small herbaceous plant of the same name. Azo dye, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon. Used in cake mixes, fruit-flavoured fillings, jelly crystals; can provoke asthma, eczema and hyperactivity; All child bearing women should avoid it as it could cause birth defects and foetal deaths. Can cause urticaria and liver problems possibly also cancer. It is used in dyeing and colour photography. Banned in Austria, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, the USA in 1976, still used in Australia! |
| 124 E124 |
Ponceau 4R, Cochineal Red A, Brilliant Scarlet 4R | Artificial red dye, synthetic coal tar and azo dye, carcinogen in animals, can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; 1 in 10,000 people are allergic to 124. Typical products include packet desert mixes, toppings, tinned fruit, soups, salami. Banned in Canada, Norway, USA (in 1976 for cancer causing agents). Restricted in Sweden. |
| E125 | Scarlet GN, C.I. Food Red 2, Ponceau SX, FD&C Red No. 4, or C.I. 14700 | Red azo dye used as a food dye. When used as a food additive, it has the E number E125. It usually comes as a disodium salt. It is permitted in fruit peels and maraschino cherries. |
| E126 | Ponceau 6R, Crystal ponceau 6R, Crystal scarlet, Brilliant crystal scarlet 6R, Acid Red 44, or C.I. 16250 | Red azo dye. It is soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol. It is used as a food dye, with E number E126. It is also used in histology, for staining fibrin with the MSB Trichrome stain. It usually comes as disodium salt. Amaranth is a closely related azo dye, also usable in trichrome staining. |
| 127 E127 |
Erythrosine | FD&C Red No:3; Coal tar dye; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon. Artificial red colour used in cherries, strawberries and rhubarb, packet deserts, biscuits, cakes, spreads and pates, processed cooked
meat, canned fruit, custard mix, sweets, bakery, snack foods; can cause sensitivity to light and learning difficulties; can increase thyroid hormone levels and lead to hyperthyroidism, was shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats in a study in
1990. Is also used in printing inks, as a biological stain, and for extraction-photometric determination of K, Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn, Ag. It also serves as an adsorption and fluorescent indicator, a dental plaque disclosing agent and a radiopaque medium. It has been suggested that erythrosine may affect thyroid activity due the presence of iodine in the molecule which may be released upon degradation, and that erythrosine may be carcinogenic.
Used as an ingredient to kill maggot lava and
flies.
Banned in January 1990, but not recalled by the US FDA**; Banned in Norway. |
| E128 | Red 2G | A synthetic red coal tar and azo dye, which is used particularly in meat products. The latter may contain sulfur dioxide and metabisulfite which normally have a bleaching effect, but Red 2G is relatively unaffected. There is evidence that Red 2G can be converted to aniline in the gut. Laboratory tests have shown that Aniline causes anaemia in rats, as it affects haemoglobin in red blood cells. Typical products include processed meats, jams, soft drinks. May cause damage to genes. To be avoided by hyperactive people, asthmatics and aspirin sensitive people. Also a risk of skin rash and anaemia. Thought to be carcinogenic when added to foods. Banned in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand, USA, and many other places except UK. |
| 129 E129 |
Allura red AC | FD&C Red No:40; Artificial orange-red colour used in sweets, drinks and condiments, medications and cosmetics, synthetic; introduced in the early eighties to replace amaranth which was considered not safe due to conflicting test results;
Allura red has also been connected with cancer. Any allergic reaction to this dye is small compared to reactions to other azo dyes, although asmatics and aspirin intolerant people are still at risk.
Typical products include biscuits and cakes. Prohibited throughout the EEC. |
| E130 | Indanthrene blue RS | Indanthrene is a blue dye, the compounds and derivatives of which are used as vat dyestuffs. |
| E131 | Patent blue V | Patent Blue V is a synthetic blue-violet coal tar dye used only moderately in the food industry. It is mainly used to colour the lymph vessels, and as a cardiovascular investigative dye. Hypersensitivity reactions reported include itching and nettle rash, nausea, low blood pressure, and in rare cases anaphylactic shock. Patent Blue V is also used as an acid base indicator. Typical products include scotch eggs. Banned in Australia, Norway, Japan, New Zealand and USA. |
| 132 E132 |
Indigotine, Indigo carmine | FD&C Blue No:2, synthetic coal tar dye. Commonly added to tablets and capsules; also used in ice cream, sweets, baked goods, confectionary, biscuits; may cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, skin rashes, breathing problems, brain tumours and other allergic reactions. also as a diagnostic aid (e.g. in kidney function tests), as a titrimetric indicator of Cr(II), Sn(II), Fe(III), and Ti(III). Indigo carmine is also used as a photometric detector, and a biological stain. It is normally produced by a synthesis of indoxyl by fusion of sodium phenylglycinate in a mixture of caustic soda and sodamide. The chemical structure of indigo was determined by Prussian chemist J. F. W. Adolf von Baeyer in 1883. Typical products include milk deserts, sweets, biscuits. Banned in Norway. |
| 133 E133 |
Brilliant blue FCF | FD&C Blue Dye No:1, CI Acid blue 9, CI Food blue 2, CI Pigment blue 24. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, Triphenylmethane dye. Used in dairy products, sweets and drinks, synthetic usually occurring as aluminium lake (solution) or ammonium salt; Can cause hyperactivity, skin rashes, bronchoconstriction (combined with 127 and 132), chromosomal damage. It is also used in inks, as a fabric and wool dye, and to stain proteins. Banned in British Commonwealth 1972-1980. Banned in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway Switzerland, Sweden. |
| 140 E140 |
Chlorophylis, Chlorophyllins | Green colour occurs naturally in all plants; Commercially available chlorophyll contains other plant pigments, fatty acids and phosphatides, and maybe other oils, fats and waxes. Chlorophyll is an example of a naturally occurring ionophore. It is a tetradentate ligand that binds to an Mg ion through coordination with nitrogen. Chlorophyll is used as a source of olive/dark-green colour, it is susceptible to fading. Typical products include soaps, preserved fruits and vegetables, sweets, soups, ice cream, sauce mixes. Excess can cause a sensitivity to light. |
| 141 | Copper complexes of chlorophyll | Olive colour, extracted from plants, no adverse effects are known when used in foods. |
| E141 | Copper complexes of chlorophyll and Chlorophyllins Copper Phaephytins | Olive colour, extracted from plants, no adverse effects are known when used in foods. The Mg ion in chlorophyll is substituted by Cu to give a more stable olive green colouring. Chlorophyllins contain other related substituted plant pigments, and provide a water-soluble green colour. Typical products include preserved green fruits and vegetables, sauce mixes, soups, ice cream, sweets. |
| 142 E142 |
Green S | CI Acid green 50, CI Food green 4. Green colour; synthetic coal tar derivative; used in canned peas, mint jelly and sauce, packet bread crumbs and cake mixes; May cause asthma, rashes and hyperactivity. Mutagenic in animal tests. Banned in Canada, Japan, Sweden, USA and Norway. |
| 150 E150(a) |
Plain caramel | Dark brown colour made from sucrose in the presence of ammonia, ammonium sulphate, sulphur dioxide or sodium hydroxide. The types of caramel colour available include plain (spirit) caramel (prepared by controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates with or without an acid or base), caustic sulphite caramel (produced by heat treatment of carbohydrates with sulphur containing compounds), ammonia caramel (heat treatment in the presence of ammonia) and sulphite ammonia caramel.; the HACSG* recommends to avoid it as it can cause hyperactivity. Some caramels may damage genes, slow down growth, cause enlargement of the intestines and kidneys and may destroy vitamin B. It can be manufactured without ammonia. Used in oyster, soy, fruit and canned sauces, beer, whiskey, biscuits, pickles, cakes, doughnuts, flour products, chocolate products, fizzy drinks, beer, wine, sweets, crisps, bread, pates, ice cream, sauces, pickles, preserves, vegetable protein and similar meat substitutes. |
| E150(b) | Caustic sulphite caramel | See 150(a). |
| E150(c) | Ammonia caramel | See 150(a). |
| E150(d) | Sulphite ammonia caramel | See 150(a). |
|
151 E151 |
Brilliant Black BN, Black PN |
CI Food Black 1. Synthetic colour; coal tar derivative (may be carcinogenic); used in brown sauces, blackcurrant cake mixes; Potentially dangerous to asthmatics, probable cause for ADD in children and may cause urticaria and problem to rhinitis sufferers. Also known to interfere with some digestive
enzymes. Banned in Denmark, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, USA, Norway and greatly restricted Sweden. |
| E152 | Black 7984, Food Black 2, or C.I. 27755 | A brown-to-black synthetic diazo dye. It usually comes as a tetrasodium salt. When used as a food dye, it has E number E152. It is also used in cosmetics. Its use is discontinued in USA and EU since 1984. It is currently delisted and not used anymore both in European Union and USA. It is also not permitted in Australia and Japan. It appears to cause allergic or intolerance reactions, particularly amongst those with an aspirin intolerance. It is a histamine liberator, and may worsen the symptoms of asthma. It is one of the colourants that the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children. |
|
153 E153 |
Vegetable carbon | Black colour, charcoal pigment; used in jams, jelly crystals, liquorice; only the vegetable derived variety permitted in Australia. Banned in the United States |
| E154 | Brown FK, Kipper Brown |
Kipper or Food Brown. Made from 6 azo dyes and sodium chloride and/or sodium sulphate. It is mainly used to give fish flesh a healthy pigment which will not leach or fade during cooking.
Typical products include smoked and cured fish, crisps, cooked meats. Banned in Austria, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, USA. All EEC countries except the UK. |
| 155 E155 |
(Chocolate) Brown HT | brown colour, coal tar and azo dye; used in chocolate cake mixes; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; also known to induce skin sensitivity; thought to be a carcinogenic in food, ADD children can have an adverse reaction to this dye.
Typical products include foods where a chocolate colour is required, e.g. cakes and biscuits. Banned in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, USA |
| 160 E160(a) |
Carotene, alpha-, beta-, gamma- | Carrots, green leafy vegetables and tomatoes are very good sources of natural carotene which is chemically extracted and is comprised of a mixture of beta-, alpha- and gamma-carotene. Natural carotene, an orange-yellow colouring, contains mainly beta-carotene which has vitamin A as its natural degradation product. Carotene colouring fades on exposure to light. Typical products include fruit juices and squashes, cakes, desserts, butter and margarine |
| 160(b) E160(b) |
Annatto, bixin, norbixin | Red colour; derived from a tree (Bixa orellana); Water soluble annatto contains bixin, a carotenoid and the main colourant which may be interconverted by hydrolysis to norbixin. Water soluble annatto contains sodium or potassium salts of norbixin as the major colourant. Annatto, bixin and norbixin can be used in a great variety of foods due to being either oil or water soluble. Typical products include soft drinks, fruit fillings, cheese, spreads and sauces, oil, cakes, butter and margarine, pastry, crisps, ice cream and lollies, smoked fish. Used as a body paint, fabric dye, antibacterial, antioxidant, digestive aid and expectorant; used to dye cheese, cereals, snack foods, soaps, textiles and varnishes; known to cause urticaria (nettle rash) and flare-ups of angioneurotic oedema. It is implicated in asthma (containing salicylic acid) and hyperactivity. The HACSG* recommends to avoid it. |
| E160(c) | Paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin | Capsanthin, found in paprika extract, is a red to orange coloured spice derived from the pods and seeds of the red pepper (Capsicum
annuum). Contains vitamins A, B, C and traces of Zn, Cu, Se, Co, Mo, etc. Paprika extract also contains capsanthin. Capsanthin may be added to poultry feed to enhance egg yolk colour. Typical products include eggs, meat products. Not listed in Australia. Avoid it. |
| E160(d) | Lycopene | Lycopene is a natural red colour derived from tomatoes. Not Listed In Australia. Avoid it. Banned in some countries. |
| 160(e) E160(e) |
Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C 30) | This is a synthetic yellow-red colourant. No adverse effects are known. Typical products include processed cheese. |
| 160(f) E160(f) |
Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (C 30) | A derivative of E160e, this orange-yellow colouring has no obvious health effects. Typical products include processed cheese. |
| 161 E161 |
Xanthophylls | Natural yellow colour derived from plants and animals, naturally found in green leaves, marigolds and egg yolks. Used in animal feed to colour the flesh and to enhance egg yolk colour as it is absorbed by the animals and stored in their tissue. |
| E161(a) | Flavoxanthin | Flavoxanthin is a xanthophyll, providing a natural yellow colour. Xanthophylls are mixtures of hydroxy derivatives of alpha-, beta- and gamma-carotenes, their natural epoxides and fatty acid esters. Flavoxanthin is consumed as part of a normal diet. |
| 161 E161(b) |
Xanthophylls - Lutein | Yellow-red colour derived from plants, naturally found in green leaves, marigolds and egg yolks. It is related to carotene (E160a) and is available as a natural plant extract. Forms part of a normal diet. Typical products include egg yolks (lutein is fed to poultry to enhance yolk colour). |
| E161(c) | Cryptoxanthin | A xanthophyll (see E161a) and is found naturally in members of the potato and tomato family, as well as in egg yolks and butter. It provides a natural yellow colour but is not available for commercial colouring use. Forms parts of a normal diet. |
| E161(d) | Rubixanthin | A xanthophyll (see E161a) that provides a natural yellow colour in foods consumed as part of a normal diet, however it is not commercially available. |
| E161(e) | Violoxanthin | A xanthophyll (see E161a) that provides a natural yellow colour, however it is not commercially available. Found in abundance in yellow pansies. |
| E161(f) | Rhodoxanthin | A xanthophyll (see E161a) found naturally in yew tree seeds. It is yellow in colour. Not commercially available. |
| E161(g) | Xanthophylls - Canthaxanthin | Canthaxanthin is a natural orange xanthophyll (see E161a) isolated from some mushrooms, crustacea, fish and also flamingo feathers. It is used to enhance the colour of fish flesh, particularly trout and salmon. There is some evidence that prolonged ingestion of canthaxanthin in large amounts may cause spotting of the retina. Typical products include tanning products, sauces, fish, preserves, breadcrumbs, sweets. |
| E161(h) | Citranaxanthin | Natural colour, present in many plants. Commercially prepared from several dried plants species. Yellow food colour. Slightly soluble in water. Hardly used. No side effects known. |
| 162 E162 |
Beetroot Red, Betanin | Beetroot red is the natural purplish red extract of beetroot, which is instable and hence not useful for most food processing applications. Beetroot red may contain sodium nitrate. Typical products include soup, tomato products, bacon products, desserts, sauces, jams, sweets, jelly. No adverse effects are known, but restrict intake for small children and infants. |
| 163 E163 |
Anthocyanins | Anthocyanins are natural red, blue or violet plant pigments present in the cell sap of many flowers, fruits and vegetables. They may contain a wide range of compounds including anthocyanin, tartaric acid, tannins, sugars and minerals. Typical products include soft drinks, pickles, soups, dairy products, jelly, fruit desserts, sweets. |
| 170 E170 |
Calcium carbonate | Calcium carbonate occurs naturally. The most common form of calcium carbonate is limestone. Other forms include chalk, marble, corals and calcite. Limestone is a major building material as quick lime (CaO) and slaked lime (Ca(OH)2) are derived from it. Specially precipitated CaCO3 is extensively used in the paper industry as it adds brightness, opacity, ink receptivity and smoothness to the finished product. Calcium carbonate is also used as a filler in rubbers, latex, paints and enamels, and in plastics, as well as finding use as a mild abrasive in toothpastes and an antacid. High levels of ingestion may result in flatulence, constipation, haemorrhoids and bleeding anal fissures. Typical products include tinned fruit and vegetables, wine, vitamin supplements, bread, cakes and other flour products. sometimes used to de-acidify wines and firm canned fruit and veg.; toxic at 'high doses' due to mineral imbalance and many other physical problems such as haemorrhoids, kidney stones, abdominal pain, confused behaviour. Other names: limestone, marble, calcite, chalk |
| 171 E171 |
Titanium dioxide | Titanium dioxide may be used in food to give opacity. No adverse effects are known, and the compound is chemically inert. The manufacture of paint constitutes the major use of titanium dioxide, but it is also used as a paper coating and as a filler in rubber and plastics. The most common form of titanium dioxide at room temperature is the rutile structure, which is a slightly distorted hcp of O atoms with half octahedral holes filled by Ti atoms. Fine particles may be used to produce high opacity films as titanium dioxide has an exceptionally high refractive index in the visible region. Naturally occurring forms of titanium dioxide are usually impure, hence the sulphate process or the chloride process are normally used to harvest an acceptable purity of compound. Typical products include sweets, pharmaceutical tablets and vitamin supplements, sauces and cheese. Pollutes waterways. No adverse effects are known. |
| 172 E172 |
Iron oxides and hydroxides | Alpha-Fe2O3 occurs naturally as the mineral haematite. Together the iron oxides and hydroxides are used to provide red, orange, yellow, brown and black pigments, with the iron not being actively available to body tissues.
Iron(III) oxide is also used as a major source of elemental iron in industry.
Alpha-iron(III) oxide has the corundum structure. Typical products include fish and meat pastes, packet desserts, soups.; toxic at 'high doses'. |
| E173 | Aluminium | Aluminium is a naturally occurring element, present in a normal healthy diet. It is used in food as a metallic surface coating. There is evidence that aluminium accumulation in body cells could be toxic and linked to Parkinson-type diseases, or that skeletal deformations could occur. Pure aluminium is a silvery-white metal that is capable of taking a high polish, has high thermal and electrical conductivity, has excellent corrosion resistance, is non-magnetic, malleable and ductile. It is the most commonly occurring metal in the earth's crust (8.3% by weight), and as well as being used in the food industry, is also used in the construction and aerospace industries, in aerosol cans and foil. Production of Al metal involves the following:
(i) extraction, purification and dehydration of bauxite;
(ii) the electrolysis of Al2O3 dissolved in molten cryolite.
Typical products include sugar coated flour confectionery, silver coated tablets. Not currently listed for use in Australia. Avoid it. Suspect of being a neurotoxic hazard and been linked to osteoporosis. |
| 174 E174 |
Silver | Silver is used in food to give a metallic surface colour. However prolonged consumption may lead to argyria, a blue-grey skin. The greatest source of silver now is as a by product in the manufacture of non-ferrous metals such as Cu, Pb, Zn. Silver is usually obtained from crushed silver bearing ore. The actual method of recovery from the ore depends on which metal is predominant in the ore but normally ends by electrolysis using one of two techniques, either the Moebius or Thum Balbach systems. Silver is used extensively in the photographic industry, as well as in silverware and jewellery, electrically, for silvering mirrors and in batteries. Typical products include sugar coated flour confectionery. Not permitted in Australia prior to 1992. Long regular use can lead to blue-grey skin (this is not dangerous). Avoid it. |
| E175 | Gold | Gold is used in food to give a metallic surface colour which is very unreactive, however it is also very expensive. Gold is produced by crushing gold-containing rock, the grains of gold are then extracted either by the cyanide process or by amalgamation with mercury. Gold is used to settle international debts, but other uses include manufacture of jewellery, in dentistry, the electronics industry and in the aerospace industry. Typical products include sugar coated flour confectionery. Not listed for use in Australia. Avoid it. |
| E180 | Lithol Rubine BK, Pigment Rubine |
Pigment rubine is a reddish coloured azo dye, used solely for colouring cheese rind. May affect people who suffer from asthma, rhinitis or the skin disease urticaria. Typical products include cheese. Probable cause of rashes, hyperactivity, and potentially dangerous to asthmatics. Avoid it. Banned in Australia and New Zealand. |
| 181 E181 |
Tannic acid, tannins | Clarifying agent in alcoholic drinks; derived from the nutgalls and twigs of oak trees; occurs naturally in tea. May cause gastric irritation. |
* Hyperactive Children Support Group (HACSG) (Canada)
** Food and Drug Administration