E110Colour
Sunset yellow FCF
What the research shows
PrototypeConcerning
in animal and lab studies only
2 of 2 health findings on this page · See the findings
Used in food as a colour.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- EU permitted with restrictions
What research says
Animal and lab studies only
-
Concern
Gut inflammation in mice2
In animal studies, sunset yellow made colitis worse in mice by changing gut bacteria and sulfur use.
-
Concern
Gut bacteria and gut lining3
In animal studies, Sunset yellow FCF changed gut bacteria and weakened the gut lining, letting bacterial bits into the blood.
Study type not stated
-
Concern
Protein clumping in the gut1
Sunset yellow FCF made a digestive protein clump together, but only in acid conditions.
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 two findings in people. 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.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
European Union Permitted With restrictions EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008 ‘name or E number of the colour(s)’: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
-
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 17,155 products on Open Food Facts that list sunset yellow fcf.
- Cheetos Crunchy Cheetos · 1 oz (28.3 g) 4 additives
- Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips Doritos · 9.25oz 8 additives
- Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips Doritos · 1 oz (28.3 g) 8 additives
- Oatmeal Squares Quaker · 500 g 4 additives
- Chewy spicy candies Hot Tamale 10 additives
- TRAIL MIX KIRKLAND Signature · 57 g (2 OZ) 9 additives
References
- 1Al-Shabib NA, Khan JM, Malik A, et al. Probing the interaction mechanisms between sunset yellow dye and trypsin protein leading to amorphous aggregation under low pH conditions. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024;265(Pt 1):130442. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130442
- 2Shi X, Wan L, Ni S, et al. Chronic Exposure to Sunset Yellow Promotes Susceptibility to Experimental Colitis in Mice through Gut Microbiota. J Agric Food Chem. 2025;73(37):23633-23643. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06410
- 3Zahran SA, Mansour SM, Ali AE, et al. Sunset Yellow dye effects on gut microbiota, intestinal integrity, and the induction of inflammasomopathy with pyroptotic signaling in male Wistar rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2024;187:114585. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2024.114585