E172Colour
Iron oxides and iron hydroxides
What the research shows
Not enough
published research on this page yet
Used in food as a colour.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them. IARC rates whether something can cause cancer at all, not how likely it is at the amounts in food.
-
UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1999
Acceptable daily intake: up to 0.5 mg per kg of body weight.
-
WHO cancer agency (IARC), 1987
For ferric oxide: not enough evidence to say whether it causes cancer in people (Group 3).
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
-
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 317 products on Open Food Facts that list iron oxides and iron hydroxides.
- 6 sausages vegan Linda McCartney · 270 g 4 additives
- Chocolate M&M m&m's · 45 g 10 additives
- Smoky Ham Free Slices Quorn · 100 g 3 additives
- Picnic Eggs Quorn · 140 g 4 additives
- Picnic Eggs Quorn · 180 g 3 additives
- A-Z Multivitamins & Minerals Tesco · 90 Tablets 11 additives