E129 Allura Red AC (Red 40)

E129ColorsOrigin: Lab-made

Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Contains no animal ingredients. Some vegans avoid it because it has been tested on animals.

Full answer ›

Gluten-freeYes

HalalYes

KosherYes

KetoYes

Low-FODMAPYes

The short answer

Red 40 (E129) is a petroleum-based dye. It's legal in the US and EU, but European packages must carry a warning about hyperactivity in children, and California is removing it from school food.

35/100

Best to avoid

Controversial, restricted or banned somewhere.

E-numberE129

Comes fromLab-made

What it doesColors

Glycemic index—

Daily limit7 mg/kg

Also calledRed 40, Red No. 40

Find snacks without Red 40

Clean-label swaps

Clean grocery swap

Dye-free kids' snacks

Fruit snacks and candy colored with fruit and vegetable juice.

Shop dye-free snacks Opens your country’s Amazon store

Clean substitute

Natural food coloring kit (plant-based)

Beet, spirulina and turmeric colors for home baking.

Shop natural colors Opens your country’s Amazon store

Party swap

Dye-free sprinkles

Colored with vegetable juice instead of synthetic dyes.

Shop dye-free sprinkles Opens your country’s Amazon store

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes our ratings.

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDAApproved with limits

🇪🇺 European UnionWarning label required

🇨🇦 Health CanadaApproved with limits

CaliforniaRestrictedBanned in California public school food from 2028 (School Food Safety Act, AB 2316)

Legal in the US, EU and Canada, but the EU requires a warning on the package: "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." In 2025 the FDA announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based dyes, relying mostly on voluntary action by food companies.

How much is too much? (Acceptable Daily Intake)

Body weight: 70 kg

490 mgper day is the safe upper limit

Based on 7 mg per kg of body weight (EFSA / JECFA). A 20 kg (44 lb) child: 140 mg a day.

What is it?

Allura Red AC is the most-used food dye in the United States. It's a bright red powder made from petroleum-derived chemicals, and it's often listed as "Red 40 Lake" when bound to aluminum so it doesn't bleed in candy coatings.

Where it comes from: A synthetic azo dye made from petroleum-derived chemicals. Each US batch is tested and certified by the FDA before it can be sold.

Why it’s in food

Makes candy, cereal and drinks bright red or pink
Replaces color lost during processing
Gives products a consistent look batch to batch

Often found in

Candy and gummiesBreakfast cerealsSports drinksFrosting and cake mixesFlavored yogurtChips with red seasoning

Also listed as: Red 40, Red No. 40, FD&C Red 40, Red 40 Lake, Allura red

Health & gut impact

Hyperactivity in childrenUnder study

The 2007 Southampton study found mixes of dyes including Red 40 increased hyperactivity in some children. California's 2021 OEHHA review reached a similar conclusion.

McCann et al., The Lancet (2007); OEHHA (2021)

Allergic reactionsUnder study

Rare skin reactions like hives have been reported in sensitive people.

EFSA Panel on Food Additives (2009)

CancerConcern

Current evidence does not show it causes cancer at normal intakes.

EFSA Journal 7(11):1327 (2009)

What can I use instead?

Beet juice powder

Ratio: About 1 tsp per cup of frosting

Best for: Red velvet, frosting, pink drinks

Paprika or annatto

Ratio: To taste

Best for: Savory snacks and seasonings

Hibiscus or purple carrot

Ratio: To taste

Best for: Drinks and gummies

Is it vegan?

More colors:

Carmine (Cochineal) E120Carmine (E120) is a red dye made from crushed insects. It's not vegan, vegetarian or kosher, and halal status is disputed. It can cause rare severe allergies.Use in moderation Erythrosine (Red 3) E127Red 3 (E127) is a pink dye the FDA is removing from US food by 2027 because of cancer findings in rats. The EU already limits it to candied cherries.Best to avoid Tartrazine (Yellow 5) E102Tartrazine (Yellow 5, E102) is a synthetic yellow dye linked to hyperactivity in some children and to hives in sensitive people. It must carry a warning in the EU.Best to avoid Titanium Dioxide E171Titanium dioxide (E171) is a white coloring banned in EU food since 2022 because damage to DNA couldn't be ruled out. It's still allowed in the US and Canada.Best to avoid

Common questions

Is Red 40 safe?

Best to avoid (35/100). Legal in the US, EU and Canada, but the EU requires a warning on the package: "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." In 2025 the FDA announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based dyes, relying mostly on voluntary action by food companies.

Is Red 40 vegan?

Yes. Contains no animal ingredients. Some vegans avoid it because it has been tested on animals.

Is Red 40 gluten-free?

Yes.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Report it ›

Scientific sources & regulatory citations

21 CFR 74.340 (US FDA)
EFSA OpenFoodTox: E129
McCann et al., The Lancet (2007); OEHHA (2021)
EFSA Panel on Food Additives (2009)
EFSA Journal 7(11):1327 (2009)

Last checked against FDA, EFSA and Health Canada records: October 31, 2026 · INS 129 · CAS 25956-17-6