Yellow 5: What is Tartrazine?

Learn what Yellow 5 is, its potential health risks, and tips for avoiding this food dye in your diet to make healthier, informed choices.

There’s been a recent uptick in conversations around the safety of artificial dyes used in foods and other consumer products in the United States. Is there a link between certain food additives and some of our modern chronic health problems? Here’s what we know about Yellow 5 (tartrazine).

What is Tartrazine?

Tartrazine, AKA Yellow 5, is a manmade lemon-yellow food dye derived from coal tar or petroleum (the liquid fossil fuel formed from plant and animal remains, widely used for making fuel, plastics, chemicals, consumer products, and more).

It’s considered an azo compound, which means that in addition to carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (often found in natural food dyes), Yellow 5 also contains sodium, sulfur, and oxygen. In other words, it contains both natural and manufactured chemicals, making it more stable than natural food dyes.

The reason you’ll find tartrazine in so many consumer items is because it gives them a bright yellow color.

Yes, that’s it. It’s all about aesthetic appeal. As many companies strive for homogeneity across their products, they use artificial coloring like Yellow 5 to make sure consumers will get exactly the same thing every time. Expectations managed.

Common Sources of Yellow 5

Because Yellow 5 is such a widely used artificial coloring agent, most of us probably don’t think twice about where it’s found. Some of the most common places for Yellow 5 to be added include:

Sodas and soft drinks
Candies and gummies
Colored marshmallows
Commercial frostings
Chips and snack foods
Baked goods and mixes
Ice cream and frozen desserts
Pickles and relishes
Flavored carbonated beverages
Flavored drink mixes
Cereals
Jell-O and gelatin desserts
Sauces and condiments (e.g., mustard)
Processed cheeses
Energy drinks
Pharmaceuticals (pills, syrups)
Cosmetics and personal care items

Okay, so it’s a pretty frequent flier when it comes to products many of us use every day. What’s the big deal? Well, there are a number of potential health concerns associated with Yellow 5 given its widespread presence.

5 Health Concerns Associated with Ingesting Tartrazine

While tartrazine (Yellow 5) is frequently used in various food and consumer products, some health concerns have been associated with its ingestion. Research on Yellow 5 and other artificial food colorings has focused mostly on how they might be toxic to your genes and DNA, how they may affect the cells that make up your body, and how they might cause genetic mutations.

Here are some of the major concerns being explored.

Allergic Reactions and Sensitivities

When I was growing up, one of my best friends had a severe artificial coloring allergy – it’s a real thing, just like any food allergy.

An allergic reaction to tartrazine can manifest as hives, itching, or breathing-related issues. Those with asthma or aspirin sensitivity may be particularly prone to these reactions. In fact, researchers say that allergies to certain medications aren’t always caused by an allergy to the drug itself, but to the artificial dyes added to them.

Some people also report sensitivities to tartrazine, leading to symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or gastrointestinal issues.

Cancer Risk

Some studies have raised concerns about a potential association between artificial food dyes, including tartrazine, and an increased risk of certain cancers.

For example, a 2015 study found that tartrazine at various concentration levels didn’t damage cells, but did damage DNA – significantly. DNA damage is concerning because these types of genetic mutations can cause cancer. The authors found that while most of the DNA damage repaired itself, some of it continued even after 24 hours, suggesting that ongoing exposure to Yellow 5 (like, when we eat it or rub it into our bodies on a daily basis) could lead to cancer.

A 2021 study done on rats observed that 100% of the rats who were regularly given oral tartrazine developed invasive breast cancer with significantly large tumors (presumably from its ability to induce oxidative stress at the cellular level) compared to 80% of rats who received 7,12-Dimethylbenz [a]anthracene (DMBA), a known carcinogen used in lab settings for research. Of course, results from animal studies cannot be directly extrapolated to humans, but IMHO this correlation should give us pause at how nonchalantly tartrazine is used in everyday consumer products.

And in a 2023 study, researchers observed that tartrazine can cause a change in the gene expressions of various genes involved in carcinogenesis (initiation of cancer development) over a long period even at a dose at the acceptable daily intake (ADI) level for food dyes in different organs. The authors concluded that tartrazine consumption may contribute to cell proliferation and may increase the likelihood of cancer. Plus, the genes directly affected in this study are activated in the brain, suggesting possible consequences for brain function.

Hyperactivity in Children

While the correlation isn’t definitive, research has suggested a potential link between artificial food dyes, including tartrazine, and increased hyperactivity and behavioral problems in some kids.

For example, studies have found that large doses (defined as 50 milligrams or more) of artificial food coloring have a more significant effect on children’s behavior than those who received less.

Is it just a coincidence that while diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased in the past 50 years, so has the use of artificial food dyes (by 500%, actually)?

While it’s probably a multifaceted issue (like, the increase in screen use among kids in recent years), I personally think it would be naive to think the quality of our food has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Contamination Concerns

Contamination concerns with Yellow 5 arise during the manufacturing process, where the dye may become tainted with harmful substances. For example, impurities such as heavy metals or other chemicals can inadvertently be introduced, potentially posing additional health risks.

In some cases, contamination has been linked to harmful byproducts like benzidine, a known carcinogen. These contaminants can be difficult to detect and are not always listed on product labels, raising concerns about the overall safety of products containing Yellow 5.

Regulatory bodies monitor these issues, but contamination remains a valid concern for people who ingest artificial dyes regularly.

Regulatory Scrutiny

Tartrazine is approved by the FDA for use in foods in the United States. It’s It is one of nine synthetic dyes that are approved as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).

However, it has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny in some other countries, leading to calls for clearer labeling and potential restrictions on its use.

It’s banned from foods in countries like Norway and Austria, and the Food Standards Agency of the European Union (EU) deemed six artificial food colors (including Yellow 5) unsafe for kids due to the link to hyperactivity, requiring a warning label on foods that contain them.

According to the FDA: “The FDA will continue to assess the emerging science and ensure the safety of approved color additives. Parents who wish to limit the amount of color additives in their children’s diet may check the food ingredient list on labels. Parents may also discuss any concerns with their family physician.”

How to Avoid Yellow 5

With the widespread use of Yellow 5 in our food system, the ownness is on us, as the consumers, to find it and avoid it (if that’s what you choose to do).

The only way to do this is to read ingredient labels on packaged foods and beverages and try to find alternatives that don’t contain artificial dyes.

In the meantime, some brands are replacing Yellow 5 with more natural coloring agents like:

lycopene (from tomatoes)
carmine (from cochineal insects)
paprika
saffron
carrot oil
annatto (from the seeds of the tropical achiote tree)
beetroot extract

At the end of the day, most of the research on tartrazine and its potential health effects has been done using animal models. So, while there’s reason to be curious about whether it poses certain risks given how widely used it is, we don’t really have solid answers. For now, if you’d rather avoid Yellow 5 in food, you can look for it on ingredient labels and decide whether you want to find alternatives.

Furthermore, the best way to avoid Yellow 5 without reading a bunch of labels is to focus on eating more minimally processed and whole foods that don’t come in packages.

Foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and other lean proteins don’t typically contain food dyes – and you’ll get more nutritional bang for your buck by eating them over ultra-processed items. Eating these types of foods most of the time will help you naturally reduce your consumption of artificial ingredients.

If you found this post helpful, we think you should read these too:

Author

Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD
View all posts