E110

What is E110?

Sunset Yellow FCF, also called Orange Yellow S and FD&C Yellow No. 6 — a synthetic orange-yellow azo dye that carries the EU's mandatory Southampton Six hyperactivity warning label.

Quick answer

Sunset Yellow FCF (E110), also known as Orange Yellow S or FD&C Yellow No. 6, is a synthetic azo dye used to colour foods and drinks orange to yellow. It's permitted in Australia, New Zealand, the EU and the US, but it's one of the "Southampton Six" colours the EU requires a mandatory hyperactivity warning label on, following a 2007 UK study. EFSA set a temporary Acceptable Daily Intake of 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight per day in 2009, then established a new Acceptable Daily Intake of 4 milligrams per kilogram per day in 2014 after reviewing further data; EU use levels had already been reduced from 2013. Goodnessly rates it Avoid.

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Read the FAQ →

What is sunset yellow FCF?

Sunset Yellow FCF is a synthetic azo dye manufactured from petroleum-derived aromatic compounds. It produces a bright orange-yellow shade widely used in soft drinks, confectionery and desserts. In the United States it is certified as FD&C Yellow No. 6. It is chemically related to other azo food colours such as tartrazine (E102) and Allura Red AC (E129), and it sits with five other colours on the EU's Southampton Six warning list.

What's it used for?

Orange/yellow colouring in soft drinks and cordials
Colouring in confectionery, jellies and desserts
Used in some snacks, sauces and processed foods
Also used in some medicines and cosmetics where permitted

Where you'll find E110 on the shelf

It is one of the more widely used synthetic yellow-orange colours in drinks and sweets, including many products aimed at children.

Soft drinks & cordials

Lollies & confectionery

Jellies & desserts

Some snacks & sauces

Is sunset yellow FCF safe? What the research says

Sunset Yellow FCF's biggest controversy traces back to the 2007 Southampton Study, which examined mixtures of artificial colours, including Sunset Yellow FCF, combined with the preservative sodium benzoate, and found a possible link to increased hyperactivity in children. Regulators have responded very differently since, while EFSA separately revised its Acceptable Daily Intake between 2009 and 2014.

Region	Status	What this means
AU/NZ Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ)	Permitted	Must be declared by name or number (110). 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 set a temporary Acceptable Daily Intake of 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight per day in 2009, then established a new Acceptable Daily Intake of 4 milligrams per kilogram per day in 2014. Commission Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 reduced many maximum use levels from 1 June 2013.
US United States (FDA)	Permitted	Approved as FD&C Yellow No. 6 for foods generally under 21 CFR 74.706 (batch certification required). Unlike Quinoline Yellow or Ponceau 4R, it is an authorised US food colour additive.

EFSA's 2014 reconsideration concluded that exposure estimates based on authorised maximum levels and reported use levels were well below the new 4 milligrams per kilogram Acceptable Daily Intake for all population groups examined. Separately, EFSA has consistently held that the Southampton Study's findings could not be used as a basis for altering the Acceptable Daily Intake of the individual colours tested.

📰 Recent developments Last checked September 2026

EFSA 2009 then 2014 Acceptable Daily Intake path: a temporary limit of 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight per day was set in 2009 pending further data; in 2014 EFSA established a new Acceptable Daily Intake of 4 milligrams per kilogram per day after reviewing new study evidence, in agreement with JECFA.
EU use-level cuts (2012/2013): Commission Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 reduced many maximum permitted levels for E110, applicable from 1 June 2013, alongside Quinoline Yellow and Ponceau 4R.
Southampton Six warning: foods containing E110 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
People with known azo dye sensitivities, since Sunset Yellow FCF belongs to the same chemical family as other azo dyes associated with rare allergy-type reactions in a small percentage of people
Anyone who prefers to minimise synthetic dye intake generally, given Sunset Yellow FCF remains one of only six EU-flagged Southampton colours

Goodnessly rates E110 Avoid. It's permitted in Australia, the EU and the US, but its inclusion in the EU's mandatory Southampton Six warning label places it in our highest-caution category.

Additives 1

E110 – Sunset Yellow FCF

Synthetic orange-yellow dye, rated Avoid by Goodnessly. One of the Southampton Six; also known as FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the United States.

How to spot it on a label

E110 must be declared clearly. Look out for:

Sunset yellow FCF
Orange Yellow S
110 or E110
FD&C Yellow No. 6 / Yellow 6 (on some US-style labels)
Colour (110)

It's common in brightly coloured soft drinks, confectionery and desserts in Australia and overseas.

Related additives

Frequently asked questions

Is Sunset Yellow FCF the same as Yellow 6?

Yes. Sunset Yellow FCF is the EU/INS name (E110). In the United States the same colour is certified as FD&C Yellow No. 6, often shortened to Yellow 6 on ingredient lists. Orange Yellow S is another synonym used in some markets.

Why does the EU require a warning label on Sunset Yellow FCF but Australia doesn't?

Both regulators reviewed the same 2007 Southampton Study, which found a possible link between mixtures of artificial colours, including Sunset Yellow FCF, 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 Sunset Yellow FCF 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.

Did EFSA raise or lower the safe intake for Sunset Yellow FCF?

Both, at different times. In 2009 EFSA set a temporary Acceptable Daily Intake of 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight per day while further data were gathered. In 2014, after reviewing new study evidence and aligning with JECFA, EFSA established a new Acceptable Daily Intake of 4 milligrams per kilogram per day and concluded reported uses would not be of safety concern against that limit. The EU hyperactivity warning label requirement remained in place.

Does Goodnessly rate E110 as safe, caution or avoid?

Goodnessly rates E110 (Sunset Yellow FCF) as Avoid. It's permitted in Australia, the EU and the US, but its inclusion in the EU's mandatory Southampton Six hyperactivity warning label places it in our highest-caution category.

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