Use Control Find and type in "asthma" or "congestion" or "breathing"
Colors (E100-E181)
Number |
Name |
Comments |
E100@ |
Curcumin |
orange-yellow color; derived from the root of the curcuma (turmeric) plant, but can be artificially produced; used in cheese, margarine, baked sweets and fish fingers |
E101@ |
Riboflavin, Riboflavin-5'-phosphate |
'vitamin B2' and color; occurs naturally in green veges, eggs, milk, liver and kidney; used in margarine and cheese |
E102 |
Tartrazine |
FD&C Yellow No.5; known to provoke asthma attacks (though the US FDA** do not recognize this) and urticaria (nettle rash) in children (the US FDA** estimates 1:10 000); also linked to thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, urticaria (hives) and hyperactivity; tartrazine sensitivity is also linked to aspirin sensitivity; used to color drinks, sweets, jams, cereals, snack foods, canned fish, packaged soups; banned in Norway and Austria |
E104 |
Quinoline Yellow |
FD&C Yellow No.10; used in lipsticks hair products, colognes; also in a wide range of medications; cause dermatitis; banned in Australia, USA and Norway |
E107 |
Yellow 7G |
yellow color; the HACSG* recommends to avoid it; people who suffer Asthma may also show an allergic reaction to it; typical products are soft drinks; banned in Australia and USA |
E110@ |
Sunset Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S |
FD&C Yellow No.6; used in cereals, bakery, sweets, snack foods, ice cream, drinks and canned fish; synthetic; also in many medications including Berocca, Polaramine, Ventolin syrup; side effects are urticaria (hives), rhinitis (runny nose), nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumors, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, distaste for food; seen increased incidence of tumors in animals; banned in Norway |
E120@ |
Cochineal, Carminic acid, Carmines |
red color; made from insects; rarely used; the HASCG* recommends to avoid it |
E122 |
Azorubine, Carmoisine |
red color; coal tar derivative; can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; typical products are confectionary, marzipan, jelly crystals; banned in Sweden, USA, Austria and Norway |
E123 |
Amaranth |
FD&C Red No.2; derived from the small herbaceous plant of the same name; used in cake mixes, fruit-flavoured fillings, jelly crystals; can provoke asthma, eczema and hyperactivity; it caused birth defects and foetal deaths in some animal tests, possibly also cancer; banned in the USA, Russia, Austria and Norway and other countries |
E124 |
Ponceau 4R, Cochineal Red A |
FD&C Red No.4; synthetic coal tar and azo dye, carcinogen in animals, can produce bad reactions in asthmatics and people allergic to aspirin; banned in USA & Norway |
E127 |
Erythrosine |
FD&C Red No.3; red color used in cherries, canned fruit, custard mix, sweets, bakery, snack foods; can cause sensitivity to light; can increase thyroid hormone levels and lead to hyperthyroidism, was shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats in a study in 1990; banned in January 1990, but not recalled by the US FDA**; banned in Norway |
E128 |
Red 2G |
banned in Australia and many other places except UK |
E129 |
Allura red AC |
FD&C Red No.40; Orange-red color 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 in mice; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway |
E131 |
Patent blue V |
banned in Australia, USA and Norway |
E132@ |
Indigotine, Indigo carmine |
FD&C Blue No.2, commonly added to tablets and capsules; also used in ice cream, sweets, baked goods, confectionary, biscuits, synthetic coal tar derivative; may cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, skin rashes, breathing problems and other allergic reactions. banned in Norway |
E133 |
Brilliant blue FCF |
FD&C Blue Dye No.1; used in dairy products, sweets and drinks, synthetic usually occurring as aluminum lake (solution) or ammonium salt; banned in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway |
E140 |
Chlorophylis, Chlorophyllins |
green color occurs naturally in all plants; used for dyeing waxes and oils, used in medicines and cosmetics |
E141 |
Copper complexes of chloropyll and chlorophyllins |
olive color, no adverse effects are known |
E142 |
Green S |
green color; synthetic coal tar derivative; used in canned peas, mint jelly and sauce, packet bread crumbs and cake mixes; banned inSweden, USA and Norway |
E150(a) |
Plain caramel |
dark brown color made from sucrose; the HACSG* recommends to avoid it. used in oyster, soy, fruit and canned sauces, beer, whiskey, biscuits, pickles |
E150(b) |
Caustic sulphite caramel |
see E150(a) |
E150(c) |
Ammonia caramel |
see E150(a) |
E150(d) |
Sulphite ammonia caramel |
see E150(a) |
E151 |
Brilliant Black BN, Black PN |
coloor; coal tar derivative; used in brown sauces, blackcurrant cake mixes; banned in Denmark, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, USA, Norway |
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 |
banned in USA |
E155 |
Brown HT (Chocolate) |
brown color, 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; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, USA, Norway |
E160(a)@ |
Carotene, alpha-, beta-, gamma- |
orange-yellow colour; human body converts it to 'Vitamin A' in the liver, found in carrots and other yellow or orange fruits and vegetables |
E160(b)@ |
Annatto (Arnatto, Annato), bixin, norbixin |
red color; derived from a tree (Bixa orellana); used as a body paint, fabric dye, digestive aid and expectorant; used to dye cheese, butter, margarine, cereals, snack foods, soaps, textiles and varnishes; known to cause urticaria (nettle rash), the HACSG* recommends to avoid it |
E160(c)@ |
Paprika extract, capsanthin, capsorubin |
avoid it, banned in some countries |
E160(d)@ |
Lycopene |
red coloured carotenoid found in tomatoes and pink grapefruit, can cause decreasing risk of cancer |
E160(e)@ |
Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C 30) |
orange color, no adverse effects are known |
E160(f)@ |
Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (C 30) |
orange color, no adverse effects are known |
E161(b) |
Xanthophylls - Lutein |
yellow color derived from plants, naturally found in green leaves, marigolds and egg yolks |
E161(g)@ |
Xanthophylls - Canthaxanthin |
yellow color possibly derived from animal sources (retinol); the pigment is found in some mushrooms, crustacea, fish, flamingo feathers |
E162 |
Beetroot Red, Betanin |
purple color derived from beets; no adverse effects are known |
E163 |
Anthocyanins |
violet color matter of flowers and plants; seems safe |
E170@ |
Calcium carbonate |
mineral salt, used in toothpastes, white paint and cleaning powders; may be derived from rock mineral or animal bones; sometimes used to deacidify wines and firm canned fruit and veg.; toxic at 'high doses' |
E171 |
Titanium dioxide |
white color used in toothpaste and white paint, pollutes waterways; no adverse effects are known |
E172 |
Iron oxides and hydroxides |
black, yellow, red color used in salmon and shrimp pastes; toxic at 'high doses' |
E173 |
Aluminium |
avoid it, banned in some countries |
E174 |
Silver |
avoid it, banned in some countries |
E175 |
Gold |
avoid it, banned in some countries |
E180 |
Latolrubine BK |
avoid it, banned in some countries |
E181 |
Tannic acid, tannins |
clarifying agent in alcohol; derived from the nutgalls and twigs of oak trees; occurs naturally in tea |
This a fairly old list. Get more up to date via Google or PubMed.
* Hyperactive Children Support Group (HACSG)
** Food and Drug Administration
"@" Additives which probably or definitely animal (mostly pig) derivation