E122 — Azorubine
Why it’s used
A synthetic red azo dye used in the EU to color candy, desserts, and beverages; not approved for food use in the US.
Other names
Carmoisine, C.I. Food Red 3, C.I. 14720
Diet flags
Regulatory status
Not listed among FDA-certified or exempt color additives for food; azorubine/carmoisine has never been approved for US food use. Source (2026-07-23)
Authorised EU-wide as E122 with an ADI of 4 mg/kg bw/day per EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation, but foods containing it must carry the label warning that it may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. Source (2026-07-23)
Regulatory status by region
The FDA has no approval pathway for azorubine in food; the substance was never petitioned into the certified color list. The EU permits it EU-wide subject to a mandatory hyperactivity warning label — a genuine authorization gap rather than a labeling-only difference.
Azorubine/carmoisine was one of the 'Southampton Six' dyes implicated in a 2007 hyperactivity study; the EU responded with a mandatory warning label under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex V, rather than a ban, while the US has simply never authorised the dye for food.
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E122.