E151 — Brilliant Black BN
Why it’s used
A synthetic black azo dye used in the EU to color sauces, brown sauces, and confectionery; not approved for food use in the US, Canada, or Japan.
Other names
Black PN, C.I. Food Black 1, C.I. 28440
Diet flags
Regulatory status
Not listed among FDA-certified or exempt color additives for food; Brilliant Black BN has never been approved for US food use. Source (2026-07-23)
Authorised EU-wide as E151 within specified food categories, 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 never authorised Brilliant Black BN for US food use. The EU permits it EU-wide subject to a mandatory hyperactivity warning label — a genuine authorization gap.
Brilliant Black BN is subject to the EU's Annex V warning-label requirement introduced after the 2007 Southampton study, while the US has never authorised the dye at all.
Found in these products
None of the products in our database currently contain E151.