Litholrubine BK
Limited entirely to external cheese rinds; do not consume the rind.
- Category
- Colours
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
What it is
A synthetic red azo dye used exclusively for coloring the rind of certain cheeses.
How it is used in food
A stable red synthetic pigment used to colour the wax and coating on the outside of cheeses — the pink-red rind on some Edam, Gouda and similar wheels. Its purpose is visual identification and presentation of the intact wheel, and it resists fading in storage far better than a natural pigment would in the same application.
Commonly found in- Cheese rinds (e.g. Edam)
Health and safety
Not permitted for consumption in the main body of the food; strictly regulated to cheese rinds.
EFSA re-evaluated litholrubine BK in 2010 and could not establish an ADI because the genotoxicity and long-term toxicity data were inadequate; it nonetheless judged migration from rind into cheese, and therefore consumer exposure, to be very low. Related to the azo dyes structurally, so people who react to azo colours may prefer to avoid it.
Regulatory status
| Region | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia & New Zealand FSANZ |
Permitted | Permitted under the FSANZ Food Standards Code. |
| European Union EFSA / European Commission |
Permitted | Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II). |
| United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) |
Permitted | Authorised for food use by the FDA (often GRAS for standard additives). |
Identification on labels
- E-number
- E180
Worth knowing
This is one of the narrowest permissions in the whole additive list: E180 may legally be used only on inedible cheese rind, never in the cheese body. It is also the reason waxed cheese rinds should be cut away rather than eaten — a habit worth keeping even where the colour used is a different one.
Conclusion
Limited entirely to external cheese rinds; do not consume the rind.
Is it in what you are buying?
ScanWise reads the barcode and tells you which additives a product actually contains, and what they do to its score.
Open the appEntry last reviewed 2026-07-28.
← All additives