Artificial dyes by another name: what to look for on ingredient labels

Artificial food dyes don't stand out. They're often buried in a long list of ingredients, making them easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for.

Here's a quick reference you can save for the next time you're checking labels.

Artificial dyes and the other names they go by

The FDA lists these dyes as color additives, labeled as FD&C colors (Food, Drug, and Cosmetic). But the same dye can appear under different aliases, including common names, FD&C names, or E-numbers in Europe. Imported snacks may use internationally recognized names instead.

Here are the artificial dyes we don't allow in our machines:

• Red 40
  Other names: Fancy Red, Allura Red AC, and E129

• Yellow 5
  Other names: Food Yellow 4, Tartrazine, Tartrazine Lake, Acid Yellow 23, Yellow Lake 69, and E102

• Yellow 6
  Other names: Sunset Yellow, Orange Yellow S, C.I. Food Yellow 3, and E110

• Blue 1
  Other names: Brilliant Blue and E133

• Blue 2
  Other names: Indigo Blue, Acid Blue 74, Indigo Carmine, Indigotine, and E132

• Green 3
  Other names: Solid Green, Fast Green, Green 1724, and E143

Most vending machines don't screen for ingredients this closely. Learn why many still stock snacks with artificial dyes and why that matters for kids here.

Why finding artificial dyes matters

In 2010, the European Union (EU) introduced a warning requirement for foods containing several synthetic dyes, including Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40.

Those products have to print the statement:

"May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."

The rule focuses on research that linked dyes and changes in children's behavior. And most of these same dyes are still widely used in the United States.

That alone is enough to make many families take a closer look at the ingredient list.

But other research suggests that artificial food dyes can trigger allergy-like reactions or food hypersensitivities, disrupt sleep, and pose long-term risks.

What we offer instead

Reading every ingredient list takes time, but knowing which names to scan for makes it faster.

We can make it even simpler.

Every snack in our vending machines has zero artificial dyes, seed oils, and junk, with short ingredient lists that families recognize. That means you don't have to turn every package to read the labels. No matter which snack you choose, you know it's clean.

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Better Snacks Co. places clean, healthy vending machines in all kinds of kids facilities. No seed oils, no dyes, no junk – and no hassle for your staff. Request more information.