The food dyes Verella flags, and why
Colour is the one additive category where regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have moved recently, and in the same direction. These are the dyes Verella flags and the decisions behind each one.
The 3 flags
-
The six EU warning colours Caps the verdict
Contains a petroleum-based artificial colour that may affect activity and attention in some children (EU products carry this warning), and that US regulators are phasing out. An uncoloured option is an easy swap.
Verella looks for: Additives E102, E104, E110, E122, E124 and E129, or their names: tartrazine, quinoline yellow, sunset yellow, carmoisine, ponceau, allura red, and the US names Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40
Source: US FDA and HHS announcement of a phase-out of petroleum-based synthetic food dyes (April 2025); EU Regulation 1333/2008, which requires the warning label; McCann et al., The Lancet (2007), the Southampton study
-
Red 3 (erythrosine) Caps the verdict
Contains Red 3 (erythrosine), a colour the FDA no longer permits in food (2025). Many similar products use a different colour.
Verella looks for: Additive E127, or "erythrosine", "Red 3" or "Red No. 3"
Source: US FDA revoked the authorization of FD&C Red No. 3 in food (2025); the EU permits it only in specific cherry products
-
Titanium dioxide Caps the verdict
Contains titanium dioxide, a whitener EU regulators no longer consider safe as a food additive. You may prefer a product without it.
Verella looks for: Additive E171, or "titanium dioxide"
Source: EFSA 2021 safety opinion, which could not rule out genotoxicity; no longer permitted in EU food under Regulation 2022/63
A dye flag is the clearest case for scanning before you buy, because the swap is almost always trivial. An uncoloured version of the same product is usually on the same shelf.
How a flag changes the verdict
A capping flag is the one case where nothing else on the label matters. A product can be high in protein, low in sugar and a perfect fit for your goal, and one line in the ingredient list still takes it to Best avoided. A caution is weaker: on its own it holds the verdict at Better occasionally at best, and two cautions together take it to the bottom.
The rest of the watchlist
Your condition rules run alongside these on every scan.