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Additives

Ponceau 4R (E124): What It Is and Is It Safe?

Hazardous Colour · Azo dye

Synthetic red azo dye. One of the "Southampton Six" linked to hyperactivity in children. EU warning label required. Banned in the USA, Canada, Norway, and Finland.

Category
Colour — Azo dye
Typically used in
Tinned strawberries, fruit cocktail, jelly, sweets, dessert toppings
Regulatory status
EU warning label required. Banned USA/Canada/Norway.
Also listed as
Cochineal Red A
Concerns flagged
Possible allergenHyperactivity link

Scrannr flags Ponceau 4R automatically when you scan a barcode.

Sources

Where this comes from

  1. EFSA (2009) — Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Ponceau 4R -E 124- as a food additive http://dx.doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1328
  2. McCann et al. (2007) — Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children: randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (Southampton study) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61306-3
Products

Products containing Ponceau 4R

We're building product pages that show real UK products containing Ponceau 4R, using Open Food Facts data. They'll appear here soon — in the meantime, scan any barcode with the Scrannr app to check for it instantly.

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