The EU over many years, and after much research into the effects of food additives on the human body, have complied a list of colours safe for human consumption. For the consumer, this has seen sprinkles come and go, coloured sugarpaste change in hue and tinting powders and colour pastes constantly revised. Some of the additives used to achieve the vibrant colours in sprinkles, candy and frostings available in the United States are now sadly out of our reach. We can however, rest assured that the additives we have left, are considered safe for human consumption:)
So what exactly does that leave us with? Here is a list of the permitted EU colours issued by the Food Standards Agency so you can check for yourselves that what you are eating is within the current guidelines.
EU Approved colours
E100 Curcumin
E101 (i) Riboflavin
(ii) Riboflavin-5'-phosphate
E102 Tartrazine
E104 Quinoline yellow
E110 Sunset Yellow FCF; Orange Yellow S
E120 Cochineal; Carminic acid; Carmines
E122 Azorubine; Carmoisine
E123 Amaranth
E124 Ponceau 4R; Cochineal Red A
E127 Erythrosine
E129 Allura Red AC
E131 Patent Blue V
E132 lndigotine; Indigo Carmine
E133 Brilliant Blue FCF
E140 Chlorophylls and chlorophyllins
E141 Copper complexes of chlorophyll and chlorophyllins
E142 Green S
E150a Plain caramel
E150b Caustic sulphite caramel
E150c Ammonia caramel
E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel
E151 Brilliant Black BN; Black PN
E153 Vegetable carbon
E154 Brown FK
E155 Brown HT
E160a Carotenes
E160b Annatto; Bixin; Norbixin
E160c Paprika extract; Capsanthian; Capsorubin
E160d Lycopene
E160e Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C30)
E160f Ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenoic acid (C30)
E161b Lutein
E161g Canthaxanthin
E162 Beetroot Red; Betanin
E163 Anthocyanins
E170 Calcium carbonate
E171 Titanium dioxide
E172 Iron oxides and hydroxides
E173 Aluminium
E174 Silver
E175 Gold
E180 Litholrubine BK
NB: Information sourced from the Food Standards Agency website.