Sunset yellow
Sunset Yellow is an
azo dye used as artificial
food colouring with
E number E110, and in drugs and cosmetics. It is also known as A.F. Yellow #5, Acid Yellow tra, Sunset Yellow FCF, Certolake Sunset Yellow, C.I. Food Yellow 3, Edicol Supra Yellow FC, C.I. 53907, Orange Pal, Sun Yellow, 1351 Yellow, 1899 Yellow, FD&C Yellow #6, and Yellow Sun. It has the appearance of orange-red crystallic powder, decomposing at about 390 °C, well-soluble in water (50-100 mg/ml at 24 °C).
Sunset Yellow is most commonly used as a disodium salt of 1-p-sulfophenylazo-2-naphthol-6-sulfonic acid, however both the potassium and calcium salts are also used, if to a much lesser degree.
Sunset Yellow is a sulfonated version of
Sudan I, which is frequently present in it as an impurity. Sunset Yellow itself may be responsible for causing an allergic reaction in people with an aspirin intolerance, resulting in various symptoms including gastric upset, vomiting, nettle rash (
Urticaria) and swelling of the skin (
Angiodema). The colouring has also been linked (although inconclusively) to hyperactivity in young children. As a result of these problems, there have been repeated calls for the total withdrawal of Sunset Yellow from food use.
Sunset Yellow is often used in conjunction with E123,
Amaranth, in order to produce a brown colouring in both chocolates and caramel.
Products which contain Sunset Yellow:
*
Lucozade*Nestlé
Smarties
