Yellow 5

Definition

FD&C Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) is a synthetic azo dye that is manufactured through a chemical process. It is FDA approved for foods, drugs and cosmetics including drugs and cosmetics used around the eye. D&C Yellow 5 is no longer authorized by the FDA.

Also Known As

Yellow #5, YELLOW NO. 5, Tartrazine

Health Impact

Some people, especially children, may be sensitive to food dyes, and have experienced allergic reactions when consuming them. Artificial food dyes have also been linked to increased behavioral problems in children, especially those with ADHD, because they may cause chemical changes in the brain, inflammation, and depletion of minerals that are important to growth and development.

Sources

• Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence

  BioMed Central (BMC)

• Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for

  US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

• Mechanisms of behavioral, atopic, and other reactions to artificial food colors in children

  Pub Med

• Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risk

  Center for Science in the Public Interest

• Color Additive Status List

  FDA

• Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers

  Food and Drug Administration

• Color Additives History

  FDA