Is Red 40 safe? Where it's allowed, restricted, and what it's in
Where Red 40 is allowed
United States
PermittedPermitted for coloring foods (including dietary supplements) generally, in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice, under 21 CFR 74.340, and that regulation remains in force. HHS and the FDA announced a plan in April 2025 to work with industry to eliminate six petroleum-based dyes, including Red 40, by the end of 2026; the FDA's tracking page (current as of 15 September 2026) now says the end of 2027 and describes voluntary commitments from food companies. [1, 2, 3]
Canada
Permitted with conditionsPermitted as 'Allura Red' on Health Canada's List of Permitted Food Colours (item A.2). In unstandardized foods the limit is 300 ppm, alone or combined with certain other synthetic colours, and other foods have their own limits. Food colours must be named on the ingredient list, for example 'allura red'. [4, 5]
European Union
Permitted with conditionsAuthorised as E129 for listed food categories within maximum levels. Foods containing it must carry the wording 'name or E number of the colour(s): may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children' (Annex V, Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008), with exceptions such as drinks over 1.2% alcohol. [6]
What is Red 40?
Red 40 is a man-made red dye, known chemically as Allura Red AC and certified in the US as FD&C Red No. 40. The FDA says certifiable color additives are human-made and come primarily from petroleum and coal sources, and each batch must be tested and certified before use.
Despite a common search question, Red 40 is not made from bugs. The red that comes from an insect is cochineal extract (carmine), a separate additive that must be named on the label.
Why it's used, and where you'll find it
Red 40 gives foods and drinks a red shade, and it can be blended with other dyes to make other colors. Its job is appearance; HHS and the FDA describe these petroleum-based dyes as offering no nutritional benefit.
What the research and regulators say
What safety committees say about intake
The international expert committee on food additives (JECFA) confirmed in 2016 an acceptable daily intake of 0 to 7 mg per kg of body weight and concluded that dietary exposure to Allura Red AC does not present a health concern for children or other age groups. EFSA's 2009 review found no need to change the existing limit, though it said some children who consume large amounts of food and drink containing it could exceed it. [7, 8]
The study behind the EU warning
A 2007 University of Southampton trial (McCann and colleagues, The Lancet) gave 153 three-year-olds and 144 eight- and nine-year-olds juice containing sodium benzoate plus one of two artificial-color mixes, or a placebo. One mix raised a hyperactivity score in the 3-year-olds, and both mixes did so in the older children in an analysis limited to those who drank at least 85% of their drinks. It tested mixtures, not Red 40 alone, and in 2009 EFSA said the available data, including this study, did not substantiate a causal link between the individual colours and behavioural effects. [7, 10]
What later reviews and the FDA concluded
A 2012 meta-analysis found a small average effect of synthetic food colors on parent-reported behavior that shrank after adjusting for possible publication bias, and estimated that about 8% of children with ADHD may have symptoms related to them. The authors said the effects were susceptible to publication bias or came from small samples, and the effect was not reliable in studies limited to FDA-approved colors. The FDA says most children have no adverse effects, some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive, and its 2011 advisory committee concluded that a link to behavioral effects had not been established. [9, 11]
Who might choose to avoid it
Some parents whose children seem more restless after brightly colored foods choose to limit synthetic dyes, and the FDA acknowledges that certain children may be sensitive.
How to spot it on a label
US labels say 'Red 40', 'FD&C Red No. 40' or 'Red 40 Lake'. In Canada it is 'allura red'. In the EU it is 'Allura Red AC' or 'E129' and comes with the child-attention warning. On cosmetics it may appear as CI 16035; the FDA permits it in cosmetics generally, including around the eyes (the dye and its aluminum lake).
Check what's in your own productsScan a barcode or a label photo and Label X-Ray flags Red 40 and everything else in plain English, with your allergies checked automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Is Red 40 banned in Canada?
No. Health Canada lists it as 'Allura Red' among permitted food colours, with maximum levels in many foods, such as 300 ppm in unstandardized foods.
Is Red 40 banned in Europe?
No. The EU authorises it as E129 within set limits, and foods containing it need the warning about activity and attention in children. That warning covers six colours, not only Red 40.
Is Red 40 banned in the US or in California?
No. It is legal in US food, and the FDA's phase-out is a goal worked out with industry, now aimed at the end of 2027. California's AB 2316 (Chapter 914, Statutes of 2024) bars Red 40 and five other dyes from school meals and from foods and drinks sold at public schools starting December 31, 2027, with exceptions such as USDA-provided foods and some fundraisers. It does not cover grocery stores.
Is Red 40 bad for you?
JECFA set an intake limit of 0 to 7 mg per kg of body weight per day in 2016 and found that dietary exposure does not present a health concern. The open question is children's behavior: the EU requires a warning, and the FDA says some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive while a causal link has not been established.
Is Red 40 made from bugs?
No. It is synthetic. The insect-derived red is cochineal extract or carmine, a separate additive that must be named on the label.
What is Red 40 called in Canada and Europe?
'Allura red' in Canada, 'Allura Red AC' or E129 in the EU, and 'Red 40' or 'FD&C Red No. 40' in the US.
Related ingredients
Sources
- U.S. FDA — Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA / HHS — HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation's Food Supply (accessed 2026-09-19)
- eCFR (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations) — 21 CFR 74.340 - FD&C Red No. 40 (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Health Canada — 3. List of Permitted Food Colours (Lists of Permitted Food Additives) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency — Food additives (labelling requirements for industry) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EUR-Lex (European Union) — Consolidated text: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (version of 18.08.2026) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- EFSA — EFSA updates safety advice on six food colours (accessed 2026-09-19)
- WHO / FAO JECFA — Allura Red AC (JECFA food additives database) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — How Safe are Color Additives? (accessed 2026-09-19)
- PubMed / The Lancet — Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (accessed 2026-09-19)
- PubMed / J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry — Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, restriction diet, and synthetic food color additives (accessed 2026-09-19)
- California Legislative Information — AB-2316 Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition (chaptered) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Color Additives in Foods (accessed 2026-09-19)
- eCFR (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations) — 21 CFR 74.2340 - FD&C Red No. 40 (cosmetics) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Regulatory Status of Color Additives (entry: FD&C Red No. 40) (accessed 2026-09-19)
- eCFR (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations) — 21 CFR 101.22 - Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives (accessed 2026-09-19)
- U.S. FDA — Color Additives Questions and Answers for Consumers (accessed 2026-09-19)
This page summarizes what regulators and published research say, as of the review date above. Rules and evidence change; check the linked sources for the latest. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health.