Sunset Yellow FCF

Sunset Yellow FCF
IUPAC name	Disodium 6-hydroxy-5-[(4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfononate
Other names	Orange Yellow S; FD&C Yellow 6; C.I. 15985; E110
Identifiers
CAS number	2783-94-0 Y
Properties
Molecular formula	C16H10Na2O7S2N2
Molar mass	452.37 g/mol
Melting point	300 °C
Y (what is this?)  (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Sunset Yellow FCF (also known as Orange Yellow S, FD&C Yellow 6 or C.I. 15985) is a colourant that may be added to foods to induce a colour change. It is denoted by E Number E110, and has the capacity for inducing an allergic reaction.

It is a synthetic coal tar and azo yellow dye useful in fermented foods which must be heat treated. It may be found in orange squash, orange jelly, marzipan, Swiss roll, apricot jam, citrus marmalade, lemon curd, sweets, hot chocolate mix and packet soups, trifle mix, breadcrumbs and cheese sauce mix and soft drinks. Specifically it can be found in the capsules of DayQuil (in high concentrations), some extra strength Tylenol, Astro peach yogurt (potentially others), fortune cookies, some red sauces, certain pound cakes, snack chips and other yellow, orange, and red food products.

Sunset Yellow is often used in conjunction with E123, Amaranth, in order to produce a brown colouring in both chocolates and caramel.

At high concentrations, Sunset Yellow in solution with water undergoes a phase change from an isotropic liquid to a nematic liquid crystal. This occurs between 0.8 M and 0.9 M at room temperature.

Possible health effects

Sunset Yellow is a sulfonated version of Sudan I, a possible carcinogen, 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,^[1] resulting in various symptoms including gastric upset, diarrhoea, vomiting, nettle rash (urticaria) and swelling of the skin (angioedema).^[2] The colouring has also been linked to hyperactivity in young children.^[3] As a result of these problems, there have been repeated calls for the total withdrawal of Sunset Yellow from food use.

On 6 September 2007, the British Food Standards Agency revised advice on certain artificial food additives, including E110. Professor Jim Stevenson from Southampton University, and author of the report, said: "This has been a major study investigating an important area of research. The results suggest that consumption of certain mixtures of artificial food colours and sodium benzoate preservative are associated with increases in hyperactive behaviour in children.

Professor Jim Stevenson, the lead researcher, stated, "However, parents should not think that simply taking these additives out of food will prevent hyperactive disorders. We know that many other influences are at work but this at least is one a child can avoid."^[4]

The following additives were tested in the research:

• Sunset yellow (E110) (FD&C Yellow #6) - Colouring found in squashes
• Carmoisine (E122) - Red colouring in jellies
• Tartrazine (E102) (FD&C Yellow #5) - Yellow colouring
• Ponceau 4R (E124) - Red colouring
• Sodium benzoate (E211) - Preservative
• Quinoline yellow (E104) - Food colouring
• Allura red AC (E129) (FD&C Red #40) - Orange/red food dye^[5]

On 10 April 2008, the Foods Standard Agency called for a voluntary removal of the colours (but not sodium benzoate) by 2009.^[6] In addition, it recommended that there should be action to phase them out in food and drink in the European Union (EU) over a specified period.^[7]

It is banned in Norway and Finland.^[8]

In August 2008 a proposed EU deal specified that food and drinks containing any of six artificial colourings (mentioned above) that may be linked to hyperactive behaviour in children will have to carry warnings, including Sunset Yellow. The requirement would apply to imports as well as those made in the EU.^[9] Hundreds of products containing the colourings are expected to disappear from shops in the period 2008-2010 following the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) call for a voluntary ban on their use in food products.^[9] UK ministers have agreed that the six colourings will be phased out by 2009.^[10]

EFSA has decided on 2009-09-24 to lower the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for Sunset Yellow FCF from 2.5 mg/kg to 1.0 mg/kg bodyweight per day. Unpurities in the production may leave unsulphonated aromatic amines in concentrations of 100 mg/kg which may be associated with carcinogenicity. Also a study by McCann et al. found that mixtures of four synthetic colours plus the preservative sodium benzoate (E211) cause increased hyperactivity in humans. Sensitivity reactions may occur when Sunset Yellow FCF is mixed with other synthetic colours. Also the EFSA panel noted that the JECFA limit for lead is ≤ 2 mg/kg whereas the EC specification is ≤ 10 mg/kg. The colour additive can also increase the intake of aluminium beyond the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 1 mg/kg/week. Therefore the limit for aluminum may become adjusted to accommodate for this.^[11]

References