Additives
Red 2G (E128): What It Is and Is It Safe?
Hazardous
Colour · Azo dye
Red 2G is a synthetic red azo dye that the body metabolises extensively to aniline. EFSA's 2007 re-evaluation concluded that aniline is genotoxic and carcinogenic and that a safe level could not be established, prompting the European Commission to suspend its use. It is banned as a food colour in the EU/UK.
- Category
- Colour — Azo dye
- Typically used in
- Not permitted in food; formerly sausages and burger meat.
- Regulatory status
- Banned as a food colour in the EU/UK since 2007.
- Concerns flagged
-
Carcinogenicity concernGenotoxicity concern
Scrannr flags Red 2G automatically when you scan a barcode.
Sources
Where this comes from
- EFSA (2007) — Opinion of the Scientific Panel AFC on the food colour Red 2G E 128 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2007.515
- EFSA (2007) — EFSA re-evaluates safety of food colours: food colour Red 2G raises potential safety concerns https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/efsa-re-evaluates-safety-food-colours-and-adopts-first-opinion-food-colour-red
Products
Products containing Red 2G
We're building product pages that show real UK products containing Red 2G, using Open Food Facts data. They'll appear here soon — in the meantime, scan any barcode with the Scrannr app to check for it instantly.
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