Allervibe
E124
Ponceau 4R
A synthetic red azo dye, also called cochineal red A, with no connection to cochineal insects.
i Additive Details
| Is E124 Ponceau 4R safe?
Products containing E124 must carry the EU warning 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children' (Regulation EC 1333/2008). EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation lowered the Acceptable Daily Intake considerably and found that intake by children could exceed it in the higher exposure scenarios. Intolerance reactions are reported in some people with aspirin or salicylate sensitivity and in a subset of people with asthma. Ponceau 4R is not authorised as a food colour in the United States.
| Uses
Colours sweets and jellies, dessert mixes, tinned and glacé fruit, jams and fruit fillings, sauces, soft drinks, surimi-based seafood, and certain sausages and meat products where colouring is permitted. It is also found in some medicines.
| Interactions
Blended with E110 and E102 for orange and brown shades, and with E122 or E129 for deeper reds. Despite the alternative name cochineal red A, it is chemically unrelated to E120 (cochineal, carminic acid), which is extracted from insects. It was one of the six colours in the 2007 Southampton study on additive mixtures and children's behaviour, which is the basis for the EU warning.
| Origin
Synthetic. Produced by azo coupling of diazotised naphthionic acid with a naphthol disulphonic acid, from petroleum-derived aromatic starting materials.
| Daily Intake
EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0.7 mg per kg of body weight per day, reduced from the earlier level of 4 mg per kg.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E171 Titanium dioxide A white mineral pigment used as a colorant and opacifier.
- E104 Quinoline yellow A synthetic greenish-yellow dye of the quinophthalone class, used to colour food, drink and medicines.
- E110 Sunset yellow FCF A synthetic orange-yellow azo dye, known in the United States as FD&C Yellow No. 6.
- E122 Azorubine (carmoisine) A synthetic bluish-red azo dye, also sold under the name carmoisine.
- E129 Allura red AC A synthetic red azo dye, known in the United States as FD&C Red No. 40.
- E120 Cochineal / Carminic acid A red pigment extracted from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect Dactylopius coccus.
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