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What is Yellow 5 (tartrazine)? Label names, foods that use it and dye-free swaps.

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Yellow 5 (tartrazine, FD&C Yellow No. 5, E102) is a synthetic lemon-yellow food dye. What it is made of, its label names, whether it is bad for you or banned, Yellow 5 vs Yellow 6, and real products whose labels list it.

Quick answer

Yellow 5 is a synthetic lemon-yellow food dye, also called tartrazine, FD&C Yellow No. 5 and E102. It is an azo dye that colors soda, candy, chips, pickles, boxed mac and cheese and cereal. It is FDA-approved and is the one color US rules require on every label that uses it, even butter, cheese and ice cream. EFSA says it can cause intolerance reactions in a small fraction of people, and the FDA wants it out of food by the end of 2027.

Official name
Tartrazine
US label
Yellow 5, FD&C Yellow No. 5
EU code
E102
EU intake limit
7.5 mg per kg body weight a day
In our catalog
76 current labels name Yellow 5

01 · A closer look

What is Yellow 5?

Yellow 5 is tartrazine, a synthetic azo dye. Federal rules define FD&C Yellow No. 5 as principally the trisodium salt of a pyrazolone azo compound, made by diazotizing 4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid with hydrochloric acid and sodium nitrite and coupling it with a pyrazolone carboxylic acid; the dye is then purified and isolated as a sodium salt. The same rule caps impurities such as lead, arsenic, mercury, aniline and benzidine, and every batch sold for food must be certified by the FDA. It contains no plant or animal ingredients.

21 CFR 74.705: FD&C Yellow No. 5 (eCFR)

02 · A closer look

Yellow 5 names on an ingredient list.

Yellow 5 has the strictest labeling rule of any US color. Its own regulation requires every food that contains it, including butter, cheese and ice cream, to declare it by name, while other colors can go undeclared in those three foods. This checker matches each of these names on every label it reads.

How Yellow 5 appears on labels
Label wordingWhat it means
Yellow 5The dye itself, the usual US short form
Yellow 5 LakeYellow 5 bound to aluminum so it does not bleed; used in coatings, candy shells and seasoning
FD&C Yellow No. 5The full US name: certified batch by batch for food, drugs and cosmetics
TartrazineThe chemical or common name, used on many imported foods
E102The EU and UK additive code
Artificial color, color added (no name)Not Yellow 5 on a US label: Yellow 5 must be named. Usually a color exempt from certification
21 CFR 101.22(k): how colorings must be declared on food labels (eCFR)

03 · A closer look

Foods that commonly contain Yellow 5.

The FDA lists confections, cereals, snack foods, beverages, condiments, baked goods and yogurt as typical uses. On the shelf that means lemon-lime and citrus sodas, sports drinks, candy and gummies, cheese-flavored chips and puffs, boxed mac and cheese, some pickles and relish, and frosting. Blended with Blue 1 it makes green; with Red 40 or Yellow 6 it makes orange. In our catalog candy is the most common shelf for it (counts below).

FDA: color additives and ingredient labels

04 · A closer look

Is Yellow 5 bad for you?

Regulators allow it at current levels. EFSA’s 2009 re-evaluation kept an acceptable daily intake of 7.5 mg per kg of body weight and found refined intake estimates below it, but also concluded that tartrazine appears able to cause intolerance reactions in a small fraction of people, and that sensitive people may react at doses within that limit. EFSA reviewed the 2007 McCann study, which concluded that a mixture including tartrazine increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8- to 9-year-old children, and agreed with an earlier EFSA opinion that it could not be used to change the intake limit. The FDA says most children have no adverse effects from color additives, while some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive. This is a label guide, not medical advice.

EFSA ANS Panel: re-evaluation of Tartrazine (E 102), EFSA Journal (2009)

05 · A closer look

Yellow 5 versus Yellow 6.

They are often listed together but are different dyes.

Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 side by side
Yellow 5Yellow 6
Official nameTartrazineSunset Yellow FCF
EU codeE102E110
ShadeLemon yellowOrange-yellow
Typical foodsSoda, candy, pickles, mac and cheeseCheese snacks, cereal, baked goods, orange drinks
Must be named even in butter, cheese and ice creamYesNo
EU children’s warning labelYesYes
On the FDA’s 2027 removal listYesYes

06 · A closer look

Is Yellow 5 banned?

Not federally or in the EU. In April 2025 HHS and the FDA asked food makers to stop using Yellow 5 and five other petroleum-based dyes, and the FDA’s pledge tracker now targets the end of 2027. West Virginia barred it from school meals from August 1, 2025 and treats food containing it as adulterated from January 1, 2028, and California’s School Food Safety Act (AB 2316) bars it from public school food from December 31, 2027. Several companies have pledged to drop it sooner; the food dye ban guide lists them.

FDA: tracking food industry pledges to remove petroleum-based food dyes

07 · A closer look

How to avoid Yellow 5.

Yellow 5 is easy to spot because US labels must name it.

  • Read the ingredient list for Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 5, tartrazine or E102.
  • Choose USDA Organic: certified organic foods cannot contain synthetic dyes.
  • Look for yellow from turmeric, annatto, beta-carotene, saffron or paprika instead.
  • Check medicine and vitamins as well as food.
  • Use the dye-free picks below, whose current labels list no artificial dyes.

From the catalog · 12 labels

Yellow 5 in our catalog

Of the 4,729 products whose full ingredient list we have read in the last 90 days, 76 (from 59 brands) name Yellow 5. It is almost never the only dye: 61 of those labels also list Red 40 and 61 list Blue 1. Below are up to 12 of them, one per brand; open a product to see the full label and the date we read it.

Yellow 5 on current labels in the CleanFoodScore catalog (counted at the last site build)
Labels
Current, complete labels checked4,729
Name Yellow 5 (tartrazine)76 (1.6%)
Yellow 5 labels that also list Red 4061 of 76
Yellow 5 labels that also list Blue 161 of 76
Yellow 5 labels that also list Yellow 650 of 76
Yellow 5 labels using Yellow 5 Lake15 of 76
Yellow 5 labels on the Candy & gummies shelf35
Yellow 5 labels on the Cookies shelf10
Yellow 5 labels on the Cereal shelf4
Yellow 5 labels on the Chips & crisps shelf3
Yellow 5 labels on the Nuts & seeds shelf3

The short answer

Our picks for what is yellow 5?

Top of the shelfNature's Path Organic Khorasan Wheat Puffs Cereal, Nature's Path Organic Crispy Rice Gluten-Free Cereal, and Nature's Path Organic Whole O’s Gluten-Free Cereal each score 100/100. 13 products tie at 100; these 3 have the shortest labels. Use Compare by in the table to separate the rest.

Also strongEnviroKidz Organic Monarch Magic Cereal (100), EnviroKidz Organic Choco Chimps Cereal (100), and Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran Flakes Cereal (100).

Clear noKettle Brand Sea Salt Potato Chips (lists seed oils), Jovial Organic Einkorn Cereal Puffs (lists seed oils), EnviroKidz Organic Panda Puffs Cereal (lists seed oils), plus 3 more with a listed group.

Ranked from 24 of 24 products with current labels. Every product is in the table below; a score reflects labels and claims, not nutrition, allergies or safety.

Compare the recorded labels

Find the ingredients that matter to you.

24 of 24 products

“No …” columns: None found on the label · Listed on the label · Unknown. Diet fit: Fits · Doesn’t fit · Unknown (rules; not medical advice). Claims: verified · not established. Default: most check marks first; not a health score.

Compare product claims and recorded ingredients. Click a column heading to sort.
Buy
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
100 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →5
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
92 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · organicFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimFind where to buy ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
71 / 1009 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →4
63 / 1008 of 9 groups clear · no organic claimBuy on Amazon ↗Product details →3
How the clean score works

No setup needed, and strict: a full 100 needs every additive group clear and a verified organic claim (animal foods also need a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim; wild seafood and salt, which have no USDA organic standard, are scored without the organic points, and plant-based milks, cheeses and proteins without the feeding claim). Points: the nine additive groups (seed oils, artificial dyes, MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, corn syrups, banned-abroad additives) share 60 points equally — not found earns a group’s full share, “may contain” earns half, listed earns 0; a verified organic claim is worth 25; a verified grass-fed or pasture-raised claim is worth 15 and counts only for animal foods. No claim, or an expired or unverified claim, earns nothing, so products without those claims cannot reach 100. Unverified or expired ingredient labels receive no score. Equal scores are equal. Ties are ordered by brand. Unknown and stale evidence never passes “Only show matches.” Producer claims and prices do not affect this score. This is not a nutrition, allergy, or safety rating.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying links do not influence ingredient results. “Buy on Amazon” opens a reviewed product listing; “Find where to buy” opens the maker’s page. Confirm the package, seller, stock, and current price before checkout. Price observations expire after 30 days.

Primary sources

Sources

  1. 21 CFR 74.705: FD&C Yellow No. 5 (eCFR) ecfr.gov
  2. 21 CFR 101.22(k): how colorings must be declared on food labels (eCFR) ecfr.gov
  3. FDA: color additives and ingredient labels fda.gov
  4. FDA: tracking food industry pledges to remove petroleum-based food dyes fda.gov
  5. EFSA ANS Panel: re-evaluation of Tartrazine (E 102), EFSA Journal (2009) doi.org
  6. West Virginia Legislature: House Bill 2354 (2025), enrolled text wvlegislature.gov
  7. Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel: Governor signs the California School Food Safety Act, AB 2316 (Sept 28, 2024) a46.asmdc.org