Red dye 40 in food: what US shoppers need to know

Red 40 is a synthetic, petroleum-based red dye that shows up on US labels as Red 40, Red 40 Lake, or FD&C Red No. 40, and on imported or European products as Allura Red AC or E129. It's still legal in US food in 2026, but the FDA is pushing manufacturers to phase it out, with a target of the end of 2027. The only reliable way to know whether a candy, fruit snack, or drink contains it is the ingredient list, because the FDA requires certified colors to be named there.

Key takeaways

• Red 40, Red 40 Lake, FD&C Red No. 40, Allura Red AC, and E129 are the same colorant. The lake is an insoluble form used in coatings and hard candy.
• Recipes vary by flavor and change over time, so check the package in your hand.
• US and EU regulators consider Red 40 safe within an acceptable daily intake, though the FDA notes some children may be sensitive.
• The rules are moving: an EU warning label since 2010, an FDA phase-out target of end 2027, and a California school ban from December 31, 2027.

What is Red 40 (Allura Red AC, E129)?

Red 40 is a synthetic azo dye made from petroleum-based ingredients. Manufacturers use it to give foods a bright red, orange-red, or pink color, from fruit punch to frosted cereal to strawberry yogurt. Beyond candy, it can turn up in sports drinks, powdered drink mixes, children's cereals, flavored oatmeal packets, toaster pastries, and some maraschino cherries. In the US it's a "certified" color additive, which means the FDA tests and certifies each batch before it can be used in food.

The dye goes by several names depending on where a product was made and how the label was written:

FD&C Red No. 40 is the dye's official US name, not a shade or color code. It's one of six petroleum-based dyes the FDA's April 2025 plan asks industry to remove, alongside Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3. For two of the others, see our guides to Yellow 5 food dye and Blue 1 food dye.

Red 40 vs Red 40 Lake: what the label difference means

Red 40 Lake is the same dye bound to an insoluble aluminum base, so it colors food by dispersing through it instead of dissolving. That matters to manufacturers, not to the identity of the ingredient.

Plain Red 40 dissolves in water, which suits drinks, gelatin, and other water-based foods. In a candy shell, a hard candy, or a product that's mostly fat or dry powder, a dissolving dye can streak or bleed. The lake form stays put, which is why you'll often see it on coated and hard candies.

For label reading, treat them as the same thing. If you're cutting back on Red 40, "Red 40 Lake" counts too, and some products list both.

Does your candy or fruit snack have Red 40? How to check

To know for sure, check the label on the exact package you're buying. Many fruit-flavored candies list Red 40 or Red 40 Lake, but recipes differ between flavors, pack sizes, and countries. Companies have also been pledging reformulations since the FDA's 2025 push, so an answer you found online last year may be out of date.

A quick routine that works on any package:

1. Go to the end of the ingredient list. Ingredients appear in descending order by weight, and colors are used in tiny amounts, so they usually sit near the end.
2. Scan for every name in the table above, including the word "Lake."
3. Check each flavor separately. In a mixed bag, the red pieces may use Red 40 while the green ones use Blue 1 and Yellow 5.
4. Know the look-alikes. Beet juice, paprika extract, "vegetable juice (color)," and "fruit juice (color)" aren't Red 40. Carmine or cochineal extract isn't either, though it's made from insects, which matters if you shop vegan.

Front-of-pack claims can help you sort faster. Since February 5, 2026, the FDA allows "no artificial colors" claims on products made without certified FD&C dyes, so a package with that claim shouldn't contain Red 40.

Fruit snacks follow the same rule: some use Red 40 and other certified dyes, others use fruit and vegetable concentrates. Our guide to artificial food dyes in kids snacks walks through the lunchbox aisle in more detail.

What the research and the ADI say about Red 40

US, EU, and international regulators still consider Red 40 safe within an acceptable daily intake (ADI). The main open question is whether some children are sensitive to synthetic dyes in ways that affect behavior.

The 2007 Southampton study

The research most often cited is a 2007 randomized trial published in The Lancet by McCann and colleagues. It tested two mixtures of synthetic dyes, each combined with the preservative sodium benzoate, in a general sample of 3-year-olds and 8 to 9-year-olds. The researchers reported increased hyperactivity on average after the mixtures.

Two details matter when you read headlines about it. Allura Red was in only one of the two mixtures, and because the dyes were tested together, the study can't isolate the effect of Red 40 on its own.

What the FDA and EFSA concluded

The FDA's consumer guidance says that most children show no adverse effects from foods containing color additives, but that some evidence suggests certain children may be sensitive to them. The same page confirms that certified colors must be named on the label.

In Europe, EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation concluded the Southampton findings couldn't be used to change the ADI and kept it at 7 mg per kg of body weight per day, and a refined EFSA exposure assessment in 2015 found no population group with estimated intakes above that level. The joint FAO/WHO expert committee, JECFA, uses the same ADI of 0 to 7 mg/kg of body weight, confirmed in 2016.

An ADI is the amount considered safe to eat daily over a lifetime. Because it's set per kilogram of body weight, a small child reaches it at a lower absolute amount than an adult.

US vs EU vs California: where the Red 40 rules stand in 2026

Red 40 is legal in all three places, but each has taken a different step:

United States

The US phase-out relies on companies removing Red 40, and the FDA is tracking industry pledges to drop petroleum-based dyes. Red No. 3 is different: the FDA revoked its food authorization outright, with a January 15, 2027 deadline, as our Red dye 3 ban guide explains.

European Union

Red 40 isn't banned in the EU. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, foods containing Allura Red AC and five other synthetic dyes must state that they "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children," a rule that followed the Southampton research. Many European manufacturers switched to colorants such as beetroot or paprika extract, which is why the same brand can look different on a European shelf. This is precautionary labeling, not a finding that Red 40 is harmful at normal intake, and EFSA's ADI stayed the same.

California

California's AB 2316, signed in September 2024, covers school food only, so Red 40 is still sold in California grocery stores. For a wider view of ingredients facing new scrutiny, see US food additives under FDA review in 2026, and for another additive the US and EU treat differently, our guide to titanium dioxide in food.

The bottom line on Red 40

Red 40 is legal, well studied, and slowly disappearing from many US products, but it isn't gone yet. Regulators consider it safe within set limits, while the behavioral research in children and the EU warning label are fair reasons to want to know when it's in your cart. Learn its names, including "Lake," and check each package and flavor rather than trusting last year's answer. If you'd rather not read every label in the aisle, Osana can flag Red 40 and other dyes when you scan a product's barcode.

To compare Red 40 with the other certified colors and their E numbers, see the full list of food dyes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Red 40 and Red 40 Lake?

They're the same dye in two forms. Red 40 dissolves in water, while Red 40 Lake is bound to an insoluble aluminum base so it can color candy coatings and hard candy without bleeding. If you're avoiding Red 40, avoid both.

Is Red 40 banned in Europe?

No. It's permitted in the EU as Allura Red AC (E129), but since 2010 foods containing it must carry a warning about activity and attention in children.

Is the FDA phasing out Red 40?

Yes, through industry commitments rather than a ban so far. The FDA's April 2025 plan asks manufacturers to remove Red 40 and five other petroleum-based dyes, with a target of the end of 2027. Red 40 remains authorized meanwhile.

Is Allura Red the same as Red 40?

Yes. Allura Red AC is the chemical name for FD&C Red No. 40, the dye US labels usually shorten to "Red 40." In the EU and UK it's listed as E129.