FD&C colors in food, the certified list and how FDA checks them
FD&C colors are synthetic food dyes that FDA lists in 21 CFR Part 74 and certifies batch by batch. Seven are allowed in US food. Red No. 3 ends in 2027.
FD&C colors and which ones FDA still allows in food
FD&C colors are the synthetic color additives that FDA lists in 21 CFR Part 74 and that FDA must certify, batch by batch, before anyone uses them. As of 6 October 2026, seven FD&C colors are listed for food: Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6. Red No. 3's food listing ends on 15 January 2027.
What "FD&C" means
FD&C stands for Food, Drugs & Cosmetics. You will also see the phrase "fd and c colors". FDA says these food colors may also be used in drugs and cosmetics. Each color's listing sets the uses it is allowed for.
FD&C colorants are certified colors: synthetic, mostly petroleum-derived, and listed in 21 CFR Parts 74 and 82 (FDA Q&A). Colors exempt from certification come from plant, mineral or animal sources and are listed in Part 73. Those exempt colors still need an FDA listing, and users must check that they meet its specifications.
The FD&C colors list for food
The FDA food dye list has seven FD&C colors and one other certified food color. The listings come from Part 74 Subpart A, with EU E numbers from FDA's summary table:
| Color | 21 CFR | EU E number | Status, 6 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FD&C Blue No. 1 | 74.101 | E133 | Permanently listed |
| FD&C Blue No. 2 | 74.102 | E132 | Permanently listed |
| FD&C Green No. 3 | 74.203 | none | Permanently listed |
| FD&C Red No. 3 | 74.303 | E127 | Food listing ends 15 Jan 2027 |
| FD&C Red No. 40 | 74.340 | E129 | Permanently listed |
| FD&C Yellow No. 5 | 74.705 | E102 | Permanently listed |
| FD&C Yellow No. 6 | 74.706 | E110 | Permanently listed |
| Citrus Red No. 2 | 74.302 | none | Listed, revocation proposed |
Citrus Red No. 2 is certified but isn't an FD&C color. Its listing permits use only on orange skins. The oranges must meet state maturity standards and must not be intended for processing. The limit is 2.0 ppm by whole-fruit weight. Orange B, the other non-FD&C food color, had not been certified since 1978 and was revoked effective 8 September 2026, so the old count of nine certified food colors is out of date.
Part 74 allows the seven FD&C colors in foods generally at good manufacturing practice levels. A food with a standard of identity can't use them unless its standard allows added color.
Lakes count too. Under 21 CFR 82.51, a lake is an aluminum or calcium salt of a certified water-soluble straight color, extended on a substratum of alumina. The lake is made from previously certified color and must itself be certified (FDA status list). Its name keeps "Lake", as in "FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake".
How FDA batch certification works
Part 74 requires batch certification under 21 CFR Part 80:
- The manufacturer sends FDA a request with the fee and a sample of the fully mixed batch, signed by a responsible officer. A foreign maker also needs its US agent's signature (80.21).
- The batch stays under the requester's control and can't be used until certified (80.37).
- If the batch meets specifications, FDA issues a certificate with a lot number. If not, it refuses (80.31).
- The certified batch carries its lot number on the label (80.38), and distribution records are kept for at least 2 years (80.39).
FDA runs at least 10 analyses on each batch sample, covering purity, moisture, salts, intermediates and subsidiary colors (FDA).
The fee for straight colors, lakes included, is $0.45 per pound, minimum $288. A certificate doesn't cover color whose composition has changed. It also expires once the package is opened, unless the color goes into a product or into permitted repacking or mixing (80.32).
How FD&C colors appear on a food label
21 CFR 101.22(k) sets the rules:
- A certified color or its lake must be declared by its listed name. You may drop "FD&C" and "No.", so "Yellow 5" works. "Lake" has to stay, as in "Blue 1 Lake".
- Generic terms like "Artificial Color" or "Color Added" are only for colors exempt from certification. They can't replace the name of a certified color.
- Butter, cheese and ice cream have an exemption, but some colors still need declaration. These include Yellow No. 5, plus cochineal extract and carmine.
Under 101.22(a)(4), "artificial color" means any color additive, natural source or not. So in a 5 February 2026 letter, FDA said it will use enforcement discretion for "No artificial colors" claims on foods that contain no Part 74 color. Products with any FD&C color don't get that discretion.
What is changing
FDA granted a petition under the Delaney Clause in January 2025 and revoked Red No. 3 in food, dietary supplements included, from 15 January 2027. Ingested drugs follow on 18 January 2028. Objections paused the order, but on 5 August 2026 FDA lifted the stay and confirmed both dates.
For the other six FD&C food dyes, FDA's industry pledge tracker aims to remove them "by the end of 2027". That removal is voluntary. All six remain listed in federal regulations. Citrus Red No. 2 has a proposed revocation with comments closed on 24 August 2026 and no final order yet.
UK and EU equivalents
The E numbers in the table identify equivalent dyes, not equivalent permissions. The UK text of Annex II limits erythrosine (E127) to cocktail and candied cherries and bigarreaux cherries in syrup. Green No. 3 is absent from the colour list (FSA list).
Annex V sets this warning for E102, E110 and E129: "[name or E number]: may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." Check the annex against the food you label. For EU sales, check the current consolidated text of Regulation 1333/2008 on EUR-Lex.
RegAffairs AI has a cited answer on FD&C colors that links each regulation.