Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew
Vegan, unclearGluten-Free, passesKeto, fails
E102 — Tartrazine
Why it’s used
A synthetic lemon-yellow azo dye used as a color additive, giving products like candy, soft drinks, snack foods, and some baked goods a bright yellow color.
Other names
FD&C Yellow No. 5, Yellow 5, C.I. 19140, Acid Yellow 23
Diet flags
Vegan, passesVegetarian, passes
Regulatory status
USA — Allowed
Certified color additive permitted for coloring foods generally at GMP levels, though it must be individually declared by name on the ingredient label rather than grouped as "artificial color." Source (2026-07-23)
EU — Restricted
Approved EU-wide, but any food or drink containing it must carry the label warning "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" under Annex V. Source (2026-07-23)
Regulatory status by region
The FDA permits tartrazine for general food use under standard GMP conditions and, like other FDA-certified colors, requires it to be named individually on the ingredient list. It does not require any hyperactivity-related warning statement, unlike the EU. Source: eCFR 21 CFR 74.705, verified 2026-07-23.
Following the 2007 Southampton University study linking a mixture of six synthetic dyes (including tartrazine) plus sodium benzoate to hyperactivity in children, the EU added a mandatory warning-label requirement for tartrazine and five other colors under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex V, in force since July 2010. FDA reviewed the same study and did not adopt an equivalent warning requirement, so US labels carry no such statement. Source: EUR-Lex consolidated Regulation 1333/2008, verified 2026-07-23.
Found in these products
1 product in our database contains E102.