Tartrazine

Studies in people

• Concern

  Children's behaviour and liver health³

  Some studies link tartrazine to hyperactivity in children, and animal studies show liver and nerve effects.

Animal and lab studies only

• Concern

  Liver health⁶

  In animal and lab studies, tartrazine and its breakdown products were linked to liver cell changes, but how this happens is unclear.

• Concern

  Stomach and cell effects⁷

  In lab studies, tartrazine damaged cells in human stomach cells and caused mutations in onion cells.

• Concern

  Blood vessel growth⁸

  In lab and animal studies, tartrazine disrupted blood vessel cell growth and tube formation.

• Concern

  Long-term organ effects⁹

  In animal studies, tartrazine changed how genes work in the lungs, kidneys, liver and spleen.

• Concern

  Early puberty in girls¹⁰

  In animal studies, tartrazine made young female rats show signs of puberty earlier than normal.

Study type not stated

• Concern

  Food dye health effects⁴

  Tartrazine, a food dye, may cause hyperactivity, allergy and asthma in humans.

• Concern

  Food intolerance reactions⁵

  Tartrazine may trigger intolerance reactions, mostly in people who already have hives or asthma, but scientists do not yet know how.

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.