E132Colour
Indigotine
What the research shows
Not enough
published research on this page yet
What research says
Animal and lab studies only
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No harm found
Testes health2
In animal studies, indigo carmine did not show the severe testes effects seen in an earlier study.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
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UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2018
Acceptable daily intake: up to 5 mg per kg of body weight.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 4,293 products on Open Food Facts that list indigotine.
- Sachet de skittles aux fruits Skittles · 152 g 13 additives
- Fruits Skittles Skittles · 136 g 13 additives
- Skittles Wrigley · 45. g 11 additives
- Skittles Mars norge · 174 g 14 additives
- TRAIL MIX KIRKLAND Signature · 57 g (2 OZ) 9 additives
- Trail Mix Kirkland · 1.81 kg 9 additives
References
- 1Indigo carmine. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Younes M, Aquilina G, Degen G, et al. Follow-up of the re-evaluation of indigo carmine (E 132) as a food additive. EFSA J. 2023;21(7):e08103. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8103