Sunset Yellow FCF

Sunset Yellow FCF (E110) is an orange-yellow synthetic azo dye extensively used to colour foods including soft drinks, packaged soups, confectionery, and processed snacks. It is the disodium salt of 6-hydroxy-5-[(4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid and dissolves readily in water to produce vivid orange-yellow solutions. Its broad pH stability and compatibility with other colourants make it a common choice for manufacturers seeking consistent colouration across product formulations.

JECFA most recently evaluated Sunset Yellow FCF in 2012 and maintained an ADI of 0–4 mg per kg body weight per day, equivalent to 240 mg daily for a 60 kg adult. No numerical EFSA ADI value is available in the EFSA OpenFoodTox 3.0 database. The 2012 JECFA review reaffirmed safety at permitted use levels while acknowledging that Sunset Yellow is one of the azo dyes associated with the Southampton study findings on children behaviour.

Sunset Yellow FCF is one of the six food colours requiring the EU mandatory warning label "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" under Regulation (EC) 1333/2008, following the 2007 Southampton study (McCann et al., The Lancet). The dye is permitted in the EU, United States (as FD&C Yellow No. 6), Japan, South Korea, and many other jurisdictions. Reformulation with natural alternatives such as paprika extract is increasingly common among manufacturers seeking to avoid the warning label.