E123 · Colours

Amaranth

Limited risk carcinogencolour

A synthetic azo dye used in a few products such as fish roe. Safe within its daily limit, though some people react to it.

Category: Colours
Acceptable daily intake: 0.15 mg/kg body weight/day (EFSA)
Vegan: Yes
Vegetarian: Yes

What it is

Amaranth (E123) is a dark red-to-purple synthetic azo dye. (Note: It has absolutely no relation to the natural amaranth grain or plant).

How it is used in food

Gives a dark red to purple colour in the few uses still permitted.

Commonly found in

Aperitif wines and spirits
Fish roe (caviar substitutes)

Health and safety

May cause intolerance reactions in sensitive people. The acceptable daily intake was lowered after re-evaluation.

E123 has a notoriously toxic reputation. In 1976, following Russian studies linking it to cancer, the US FDA completely banned it, famously sparking the "Red Dye Panic" of the 1970s.

Suspected carcinogen

general population · evidence: suspected

Linked to tumor formation in early rat studies, prompting its ban in the US, though later EFSA reviews found the evidence inconclusive.

Color Additives History (FD&C Red No. 2 delisted, January 1976)

EFSA concluded in 2010 that it is neither genotoxic nor carcinogenic, and set the ADI at 0.15 mg/kg body weight per day.

Regulatory status

Region	Status	Notes
Australia & New Zealand FSANZ	Permitted	Permitted.
European Union EFSA / European Commission	Permitted	Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II).
United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration)	Banned	Provisional listing terminated in January 1976 after Soviet studies raised a cancer signal. “Banned”

Identification on labels

E-number: E123
Colour index: 16185

Also printed asFD&C Red No. 2 · Red 2

Alternatives to this additive

E120: Cochineal (carmine) — A natural red alternative, though it is derived from insects.

How it is made

It is an azo dye derived from petrochemicals (coal tar).

Synthesis — Produced chemically via the diazo coupling of naphthol derivatives.

Worth knowing

Named after the amaranth plant for its colour, but entirely synthetic.

Conclusion

While the EU (EFSA) concluded in 2010 that the cancer risk was unproven and maintained its approval, they drastically slashed its acceptable daily intake (ADI) to just 0.15 mg/kg. It is now heavily restricted and rarely used, typically only found in cheap caviar substitutes or niche alcoholic drinks.

References

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Entry last reviewed 2026-08-04.

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