E102

What is E102?

Q: Is E102 the same as tartrazine?

Yes. 102 (or E102) is the additive code for tartrazine, also sold under the name Yellow 5.

Q: Does Goodnessly rate E102 as safe, caution, or avoid?

Goodnessly rates E102 (Tartrazine) as Avoid. While it's permitted in Australia and New Zealand, the EU's hyperactivity warning label and its links to allergy-type reactions in sensitive individuals place it in the highest-caution category.

Q: Is Yellow 5 (tartrazine) being banned in the US?

Not exactly. It's still legal to use as of publication. In April 2025, the FDA and HHS announced a voluntary agreement with food manufacturers to phase tartrazine and five other synthetic dyes out of the food supply by the end of 2026. This is different from Red Dye 3, which the FDA formally banned in January 2025. A handful of individual US states have introduced their own binding restrictions, mostly targeting school meals, ahead of the federal timeline.

Tartrazine — the synthetic yellow dye behind some of the brightest things in the snack aisle, and one of the most debated colours on Australian shelves.

Quick answer

E102 is tartrazine, a synthetic yellow food dye (also called Yellow 5). It's permitted in Australia and New Zealand, but in the EU it must carry a warning label about possible effects on children's activity and attention. Goodnessly flags it so you can decide for yourself.

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Read the FAQ →

What is tartrazine?

Tartrazine is a synthetic azo dye used to give foods and drinks a bright, lemon-yellow colour. It's one of the oldest and most widely used artificial colours in the food industry — manufacturers like it because it's vibrant, stable on the shelf, and cheaper than natural alternatives such as turmeric or beta-carotene.

What's it used for?

Colouring soft drinks, cordials, sports and energy drinks
Brightening lollies — gummies, jellies, hard-boiled sweets, chewing gum
Adding colour to cake mixes, icing, custards and desserts
Colouring savoury snacks, flavoured chips and some sauces
Used in some pharmaceuticals, vitamins and cosmetics

Where you'll find 102 on the shelf

Tartrazine tends to hide in plain sight — usually anywhere a product is unnaturally bright yellow or green.

Soft drinks & cordials

Lollies & gummy sweets

Flavoured yoghurts & desserts

Cake mixes & icing

Pickles & mustards

Flavoured snack foods

Is tartrazine safe? What the research says

The biggest controversy around tartrazine traces back to a 2007 UK study (the Southampton Study), which found a possible link between mixtures of artificial colours — including tartrazine — combined with the preservative sodium benzoate, and increased hyperactivity in children. Regulators around the world have responded differently:

Region	Status	What this means
AU/NZ Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ)	Permitted	Must be declared by name or number (102). No hyperactivity warning label required — FSANZ found insufficient evidence of a causal link at permitted levels.
EU European Union (EFSA)	Permitted with warning	Must carry the label "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" — part of the "Southampton Six" colours.
UK United Kingdom (FSA)	Permitted with warning	Same "Southampton Six" warning label as the EU, carried over into UK law post-Brexit. The FSA originally requested voluntary withdrawal in 2008 and has mandated the warning label since 2010.
US United States (FDA)	Permitted — voluntary phase-out under way	Still approved as FD&C Yellow No. 5 and legal to use today. In April 2025 the FDA and HHS announced a voluntary industry agreement to phase tartrazine and five other petroleum-based dyes out of the food supply by the end of 2026 — not a formal ban. Several individual states have gone further with binding restrictions (mostly on school meals) ahead of that timeline.

Separate from the hyperactivity debate, tartrazine is also a recognised trigger for allergy-type reactions — including skin rashes, hives and asthma-like symptoms — in a small percentage of people, particularly those with aspirin sensitivity.

📰 Recent developments Last checked August 2026

US phase-out announced (April 2025): the FDA and HHS announced a voluntary industry agreement to remove tartrazine and five other synthetic dyes from the US food supply by the end of 2026. Still legal to use as of publication — see the regulatory table above for the distinction from a formal ban.
Labelling recall (January–February 2025): Oak Cliff Beverage Works recalled its Beverage Base Lemonade and Beverage Base Sweet & Sour products (distributed to AR, CA, CO, KY, MO, NM, OK and TX) after failing to declare Yellow 5 on the label. The FDA classified it a Class II recall in February 2025 — a labelling compliance issue, not a contamination or safety concern with the dye itself.

This section is checked periodically rather than continuously — if you're reading this well after the date above, verify the US phase-out timeline hasn't moved before citing it.

Who might want to limit or avoid it

Parents who notice changes in behaviour or attention after their child eats brightly coloured foods or drinks
People with asthma, chronic hives, or known aspirin sensitivity, who report higher rates of reactions
People with a diagnosed tartrazine intolerance, or a known sulphite sensitivity, since some studies report a degree of cross-reactivity between the two
Anyone choosing to follow the more precautionary EU labelling approach, even though it isn't mandatory in Australia

For most people, tartrazine at permitted levels isn't considered harmful by food safety authorities — but the EU's continued use of a warning label shows the science is still debated, not fully settled.

Additives 1

102 – Tartrazine

Synthetic yellow colour, rated Avoid by Goodnessly. Permitted in Australia; carries an EU hyperactivity warning label.

How to spot it on a label

Tartrazine can appear under a few different names, so it's easy to miss if you're scanning quickly. On Australian packaging, look out for:

Tartrazine
Yellow 5 / FD&C Yellow No. 5
102 or E102
"Colour (102)" in the ingredients list
CI 19140 or INS 102 (the Colour Index and International Numbering System names used on some labels and in technical documents)

Drinks, lollies, desserts and brightly coloured snacks are the most common places to find it.

Related additives

Frequently asked questions

Is E102 the same as tartrazine?

Yes — 102 (or E102) is the additive code for tartrazine, also sold under the name Yellow 5.

Is tartrazine banned in Australia?

No. Tartrazine is permitted in Australia and New Zealand under FSANZ. It must be declared on the ingredient list, but doesn't require the hyperactivity warning label that's mandatory in the EU.

Why does the EU require a warning label but Australia doesn't?

Both regulators reviewed similar evidence, including the 2007 Southampton Study. The EU took a precautionary approach and introduced mandatory warning labels for tartrazine and five related colours. FSANZ concluded the evidence wasn't strong enough to establish a causal link for the general population and didn't introduce an equivalent requirement.

Does Goodnessly rate E102 as safe, caution, or avoid?

Goodnessly rates E102 (Tartrazine) as Avoid. While it's permitted in Australia and New Zealand, the EU's hyperactivity warning label and its links to allergy-type reactions in sensitive individuals place it in our highest-caution category.

Is Yellow 5 (tartrazine) being banned in the US?

Not exactly — it's still legal to use as of publication. In April 2025, the FDA and HHS announced a voluntary agreement with food manufacturers to phase tartrazine and five other synthetic dyes out of the food supply by the end of 2026. This is different from Red Dye 3, which the FDA formally banned in January 2025. A handful of individual US states have introduced their own binding restrictions, mostly targeting school meals, ahead of the federal timeline.

Don't decode labels by hand

Scan any product with the Goodnessly app to instantly see if it contains tartrazine — and get suggestions for naturally coloured alternatives wherever you shop.