Brown HT
بنّي HT
Colour (synthetic azo dye)
A brown dye faking cocoa colour - limit was cut, and kids can still exceed it.
Why this verdict
Brown bis-azo dye used to mimic cocoa/caramel colour. EFSA 2010 REDUCED the ADI to 1.5 mg/kg (from SCF 3). High-percentile adults and children 1-10 can exceed the ADI at the upper range. Caution; child exposure flag; not a general US-approved food colour.
What It Is
A synthetic brown azo dye ('chocolate brown') used to imitate the colour of cocoa or caramel in baked goods and desserts.
Its nickname says it all - 'chocolate brown' - because its job is to make products look like they contain cocoa or caramel when they may contain neither. EFSA took a harder line here than on most dyes, cutting the safe limit by half to 1.5 mg/kg, and even then flagged that big consumers, including young children, can exceed it. It's an azo dye but not one of the Southampton hyperactivity colours. Bottom line: a stand-in for the real thing, on a tighter leash than its cousins.
Evidence & Status
IARC Carcinogen Group
Not classified
Acceptable Intake
ADI 1.5 mg/kg bw/day (EFSA 2010, reduced)
EU Status
Approved (ADI 1.5 mg/kg, EFSA 2010)
US · FDA Status
NOT approved for food use in the US
Halal Status: Halal
Synthetic dye (no animal source); halal and vegan.
Worth Knowing
Also Known As
E 155 · Chocolate Brown HT · Food Brown 3 · CI Food Brown 3
Primary Source
Evidence, not medical advice. You decide.
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