Sunset Yellow FCF

Sunset Yellow FCF is a synthetic orange-yellow azo dye used to color foods, drinks, medicines, and cosmetics. It is also known as E110 and FD&C Yellow No. 6.

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Azo compound: An organic compound containing a nitrogen–nitrogen double bond connecting carbon-based groups. Sunset Yellow belongs to this dye-producing family through its azo bond.
Food coloring: A substance added to food to impart, restore, or standardize its color. This is the broad use category that includes Sunset Yellow in foods and drinks.
Tartrazine: A synthetic yellow azo dye used as a color additive and designated E102 in the European Union. It is a neighboring yellow azo dye, but its shade and additive identity differ from E110.
Food additive regulation: Laws and administrative systems governing substances intentionally added to food. These rules determine whether and under what conditions Sunset Yellow may color foods.
Chromophore: The part of a molecule that absorbs particular wavelengths of light and gives it color. Sunset Yellow’s conjugated chromophore absorbs blue-violet light, producing its orange-yellow appearance.
FD&C Yellow No. 6: The United States regulatory name for the color additive chemically equivalent to Sunset Yellow FCF. This name identifies the dye in US food, drug, and cosmetic labeling.
Allura Red AC: A synthetic red azo dye used as a food colorant and designated E129 in the European Union. This related color additive produces red rather than Sunset Yellow’s orange-yellow shades.
Acceptable daily intake: An estimate of the amount of a substance that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk. Regulators use exposure estimates and toxicological evidence when assessing permitted intake.
Sulfonate: A functional group containing sulfur bonded to three oxygen atoms, often present as a negatively charged ion. Its sulfonate groups make the dye water-soluble and carry negative charges.
E number: A code identifying food additives approved for use in the European Union and some other jurisdictions. E110 is the dye’s food-additive identifier in this numbering system.