Amaranth
أمارانث (أحمر)
Colour (synthetic azo dye)
Banned in the US, permitted in the EU on a tight leash. Here's the real story.
Why this verdict
Red azo dye. EFSA 2010 ADI 0.15 mg/kg (lowered from SCF 0.8 / JECFA 0.5); EFSA found NOT genotoxic and NOT carcinogenic. BANNED in the US since 1976 (FD&C Red No. 2). Not part of the Southampton hyperactivity dyes. Caution driven by the US ban + azo-dye class, despite EFSA's clearance.
What It Is
A red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 2) used mainly in aperitif drinks and fish roe. Not the same as the grain amaranth.
This is one of the cleanest 'we tell facts' cases. The US banned amaranth in 1976 after a Soviet study suggested cancer and reproductive harm - and it's stayed banned. The EU asked EFSA to re-review the entire toxicology, and in 2010 EFSA concluded it is neither genotoxic nor carcinogenic, but still tightened the limit to a low ADI of 0.15 mg/kg. So two serious regulators looked at the same molecule and landed in different places: one banned it, one permits it cautiously. It's also not in the Southampton hyperactivity dyes, and it's nothing to do with the amaranth grain. You decide.
Evidence & Status
IARC Carcinogen Group
Not classified
Acceptable Intake
ADI 0.15 mg/kg bw/day (EFSA 2010)
EU Status
Approved (ADI 0.15 mg/kg, EFSA 2010)
US · FDA Status
BANNED for food use (FD&C Red No. 2, delisted 1976)
Halal Status: Halal
Synthetic azo dye (no animal source); halal and vegan.
Worth Knowing
Also Known As
E 123 · FD&C Red No. 2 · CI Food Red 9 · Azorubine S
Primary Source
Evidence, not medical advice. You decide.
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