What is E104?
Quinoline Yellow — a synthetic greenish-yellow dye that carries the EU's mandatory Southampton Six hyperactivity warning label and is not approved for food use in the United States.
Quinoline Yellow (E104) is a synthetic quinophthalone dye used to colour foods and drinks yellow to greenish-yellow. It's permitted in Australia, New Zealand and the EU, but it's one of the "Southampton Six" colours the EU requires a mandatory hyperactivity warning label on, following a 2007 UK study. It is not approved for use in the US food supply (listed only as D&C Yellow No. 10 for drugs and cosmetics). In 2009 EFSA cut its Acceptable Daily Intake sharply, and EU use levels were reduced from 2013. Goodnessly rates it Avoid.
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Read the FAQ →
What is quinoline yellow?
Quinoline Yellow is a synthetic quinophthalone dye, not an azo dye, produced entirely through industrial chemical synthesis. It gives foods and drinks a greenish-yellow to yellow shade where manufacturers want a bright, stable colour. It shares the EU's Southampton Six warning list with several azo dyes such as Sunset Yellow FCF and tartrazine, but its chemistry is different.
What's it used for?
- Yellow/greenish-yellow colouring in confectionery and lollies
- Colouring in soft drinks, cordials and some flavoured milks
- Used in some sauces, pickles and smoked-fish products in permitted markets
- Occasionally used in desserts and bakery decorations
Where you'll find E104 on the shelf
It turns up in brightly coloured sweets and drinks, and in a shorter list of savoury products where a yellow shade is wanted.
Is quinoline yellow safe? What the research says
Quinoline Yellow's biggest public controversy traces back to the 2007 Southampton Study on mixtures of artificial colours and sodium benzoate. Separately, EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation cut its Acceptable Daily Intake sharply on toxicology grounds, and the EU then reduced many permitted use levels.
| Region | Status | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| AU/NZ Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ) | Permitted | Must be declared by name or number (104). 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. EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation cut the Acceptable Daily Intake from 10 to 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. Commission Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 then reduced many maximum use levels from 1 June 2013. |
| US United States (FDA) | Not approved | Quinoline Yellow is not on the FDA's list of colour additives approved for food. The related colour D&C Yellow No. 10 is permanently listed for drugs and cosmetics, not for foods generally. |
EFSA's 2009 opinion found that, at then-authorised maximum use levels, refined intake estimates were generally well over the new 0.5 milligrams per kilogram Acceptable Daily Intake — which is why EU use levels were later cut. Separately, EFSA concluded the Southampton Study's findings could not be used as a basis for altering the Acceptable Daily Intake of the individual colours tested.
- EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation: the Acceptable Daily Intake for Quinoline Yellow was cut from 10 to 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day after a fresh look at chronic rat toxicity data.
- EU use-level cuts (2012/2013): Commission Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 reduced or withdrew many maximum permitted levels for E104, applicable from 1 June 2013.
- Southampton Six warning: foods containing E104 must carry the EU hyperactivity warning under Annex V of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; Australia's FSANZ did not introduce an equivalent label.
This section is checked periodically rather than continuously — if you're reading this well after the date above, it's worth confirming nothing has changed before citing it.
Who might want to limit or avoid it
- Parents of children who seem to react to artificial colours with increased hyperactivity or attention difficulties, given the Southampton Study's findings and the EU's resulting warning label requirement
- Anyone comparing AU and US-market products, given Quinoline Yellow is not approved for US food use
- Anyone who prefers to minimise synthetic dye intake generally, given Quinoline Yellow remains one of only six EU-flagged Southampton colours
Goodnessly rates E104 Avoid. It's permitted in Australia and the EU, but its inclusion in the EU's mandatory Southampton Six warning label, the 2009 Acceptable Daily Intake cut, and its lack of approval for US food use place it in our highest-caution category.
How to spot it on a label
E104 must be declared clearly. Look out for:
- Quinoline yellow
- 104 or E104
- Colour (104)
It's most common in brightly coloured confectionery and soft drinks, particularly imported or European-style products.
Related additives
Frequently asked questions
What is Quinoline Yellow (E104) made from?
Quinoline Yellow is a synthetic quinophthalone dye manufactured through industrial chemical synthesis. It is not an azo dye and is not derived from plants, insects or minerals.
Why does the EU require a warning label on Quinoline Yellow but Australia doesn't?
Both regulators reviewed the same 2007 Southampton Study, which found a possible link between mixtures of artificial colours, including Quinoline Yellow, combined with the preservative sodium benzoate, and increased hyperactivity in some children. The EU took a precautionary approach and made a warning label mandatory for Quinoline Yellow and five related colours, known as the Southampton Six. FSANZ concluded the evidence wasn't strong enough to establish a causal link for the general population and did not introduce an equivalent requirement.
Is Quinoline Yellow approved in the United States?
Not for food. The FDA lists the related colour D&C Yellow No. 10 for drugs and cosmetics, but Quinoline Yellow is not among the colour additives approved for the US food supply.
Does Goodnessly rate E104 as safe, caution or avoid?
Goodnessly rates E104 (Quinoline Yellow) as Avoid. It's permitted in Australia and the EU, but its inclusion in the EU's mandatory Southampton Six warning label, the 2009 Acceptable Daily Intake cut, and its lack of approval for US food use place it in our highest-caution category.
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