Food Colourings in the Food Industry: What Restaurant Operators Need to Know

Introduction

Which Food Colourings Exist? (E100-E199)

The E100-E199 range covers all food colourings approved for use in the EU. They divide into two main groups: natural colourings from plant or animal sources, and synthetically produced colourings — primarily azo dyes.

Natural colourings (selection):

Synthetic colourings (selection):

Caramel colour E150a-d: A special category. Caramel colour is produced by heating sugars under various conditions — different production methods (plain, with sulphites, with ammonia, with ammonium sulphite) generate different E-numbers. It is widely used in cola beverages, sauces, and baked goods and is considered generally safe, though with quantity limits that vary by application.

The „Southampton Six“ — Colourings Requiring a Warning Label

The six azo dyes E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, and E129 have been called the „Southampton Six“ since a 2007 study from the University of Southampton. The McCann et al. study examined the effect of these dyes, in combination with the preservative sodium benzoate (E211), on the behaviour of children and found a possible link to increased hyperactivity.

The European Commission responded in 2010 with a labeling requirement that remains in force today: all food products containing one or more of the six azo dyes must carry the following warning:

„May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children“

This requirement applies to packaged retail products and to food and beverages served in restaurants and food service settings alike. In practice, the Southampton Six appear frequently in brightly coloured soft drinks, confectionery, coloured desserts, and sweets — all products regularly served in restaurants, cafes, and event catering. Check your convenience and processed products systematically for these dyes.

Natural vs. Synthetic Colourings

The difference between natural and synthetic colourings extends beyond origin to practical properties and guest perception.

Synthetic colourings are generally less expensive, more colour-pure, and more heat- and light-stable than natural alternatives. They allow precise colour shades and are technically easier to dose consistently. Their disadvantage is an increasingly negative image among health-conscious guests — and in the case of the Southampton Six, the mandatory warning label requirement.

Natural colourings carry a better consumer image but are more expensive and technically more demanding. They can be sensitive to light, heat, and pH changes — a red berry dessert sauce may shift colour when heated. Not all natural colourings are vegan: E120 carmine is derived from scale insects and is unsuitable for vegetarian and vegan guests.

The market trend is clear: many food manufacturers are voluntarily replacing synthetic azo dyes with natural alternatives to avoid the warning labels and meet growing demand for cleaner ingredient lists. This trend has direct implications for the convenience products and pre-made components that restaurants purchase.

Labeling Requirements for Food Colourings

The basic rule: if a dish on your menu contains a colouring — natural or synthetic — „with colouring“ must be indicated as a footnote or note. This applies regardless of the quantity used.

For the six Southampton dyes, an additional step applies: the warning label „may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children“ must also be clearly displayed.

Important exception: colouring foods. When you use beetroot juice, fresh spinach, or turmeric as ingredients to give a dish colour, these are foods — not additives. No declaration as „with colouring“ is required. However, when an isolated extract such as beetroot red (E162) is specifically added as a colouring agent, the declaration obligation applies.

A practical implication: by using colouring foods rather than colouring additives, you can legally avoid the „with colouring“ footnote while presenting a cleaner menu. This is a genuinely useful option for operators targeting health-conscious guests. When changing suppliers, always review the new ingredient list for colourings — a formulation change at the supplier level may create or remove a declaration obligation on your end.

Food Colourings in Restaurant Practice

Colourings appear most frequently in the following product categories commonly purchased or used in food service:

• Desserts and confectionery: Meringues, jellies, gummy sweets, coloured glazes and icings
• Beverages: Soft drinks, syrups, energy drinks, cocktail ingredients and premixes
• Ready-made sauces: Some sauces use caramel colour (E150) for depth of colour
• Ice cream and dessert creams: Frequently coloured with both natural and synthetic dyes
• Baked goods: Coloured marzipan decorations, fondants, coloured sugar glazes

Review the ingredient lists of all purchased products systematically for E-numbers in the E100-E199 range. Colouring foods as an alternative — beetroot juice, spinach powder, turmeric as a spice, saffron — are standard in fine dining and increasingly common in everyday restaurant kitchens. When uncertain whether a product contains colourings, ask your supplier explicitly for a colouring-free alternative or a detailed product specification sheet.

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FAQ

Q1: Which food colourings are banned in the EU?

The EU operates an authorization system rather than a general prohibition framework: only explicitly approved substances may be used — everything else is implicitly prohibited. This means that colourings permitted in other countries are not necessarily authorized in the EU. A recent example: titanium dioxide (E171) was banned as a food additive in the EU in 2022 after EFSA identified safety concerns. The six Southampton azo dyes (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124, E129) remain authorized but carry a mandatory warning label requirement. Maximum permitted levels for individual colourings are regularly reviewed by EFSA and may be adjusted. Since 2010, no previously authorized colouring has been completely revoked in the EU, though use restrictions and maximum limits have been tightened for several substances. For current authorizations, the official EU food additive database maintained by the European Commission is the authoritative reference.

Q2: Must natural colourings be declared?

Yes — natural colourings must also be declared on the menu when they have been added to a dish as an additive. The required wording is „with colouring,“ regardless of whether the colouring is of natural or synthetic origin. The critical distinction involves colouring foods: if you use beetroot juice as an ingredient to colour a dish, it is a food product — not an additive in the legal sense — and no „with colouring“ declaration is required. However, if beetroot red extract (E162) is specifically added as an isolated colouring agent, the declaration obligation applies. This distinction matters practically: by switching from colouring additives to colouring foods, you can legally remove the „with colouring“ footnote from relevant dishes while offering a cleaner menu presentation. Spinach powder for green, turmeric for yellow-orange, and beetroot juice for red-violet are the most commonly used colouring foods in professional kitchens.

Q3: What are the „Southampton Six“?

The „Southampton Six“ are six synthetic azo dyes named after a 2007 study from the University of Southampton (McCann et al.). The researchers studied children aged 3 and 8-9 years and found a possible link between consumption of a mixture containing these six dyes and sodium benzoate (E211) and increased hyperactivity. The six dyes are E102 Tartrazine, E104 Quinoline Yellow, E110 Sunset Yellow FCF, E122 Azorubine, E124 Ponceau 4R, and E129 Allura Red AC. The European Commission responded in 2010 by introducing mandatory warning labeling: all food products containing one or more of these dyes must carry the label „may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.“ This warning applies in food service settings as well as retail. Since the introduction of the warning requirement, many food manufacturers have voluntarily replaced the six dyes with natural alternatives to avoid the label — a trend that continues today.

Q4: What alternatives exist to synthetic food colourings?

There are two main categories of alternatives: natural colourings with E-numbers and colouring foods without E-numbers. Natural colourings that still require a „with colouring“ declaration include E100 Curcumin (yellow), E120 Carmine (red — but not vegan), E140 Chlorophyll (green), E160a Beta-carotene (orange), and E162 Beetroot red (red-violet). Colouring foods, by contrast, trigger no declaration obligation: beetroot juice (deep red), spinach powder (green), turmeric as a spice (yellow-orange), and saffron (yellow) are well-established options in professional kitchens. Their advantages are clear — no E-number on the menu, a natural product image, and in some cases a genuine flavour contribution. Their disadvantages are higher cost and sometimes lower colour stability compared to synthetic dyes. For operators moving toward clean-label menus, colouring foods offer the most straightforward path to removing the „with colouring“ footnote entirely.