Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) — Banned in Europe, Legal in US Food

Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) is banned or restricted in Austria, Belgium, France but remains legal in US food products. We found 26 products in our database that contain it.

26
Products Contain This
7
Countries Ban/Restrict
5
Known Health Risks
4
Safer Alternatives

What is Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)?

Blue 1 is a synthetic blue dye derived from petroleum. While approved in the US and EU, several European countries have additional restrictions. Studies have raised concerns about its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Also Known As

Brilliant Blue FCFFD&C Blue No. 1E133CI 42090Blue 1 Lake

Look for any of these names on ingredient labels — they all refer to Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF).

🚫 Banned/Restricted In

⚠️ US Status

Legal — FDA approved with no restrictions or required warnings.

Health Risks of Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)

⚠️May cross blood-brain barrier
⚠️Hyperactivity in children
⚠️Allergic reactions
⚠️Chromosomal damage in lab studies
⚠️Blue discoloration of skin and urine

US Products Containing Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)

These 24 products from our database contain Blue 1 in their ingredient list:

#ProductBrandScore
1Trail Mix Snack PacksKirkland,Kirkland Signature,M&M's0/100
2Trail MixKirkland0/100
3Trail MixKirkland1/100
4ORIGINAL GRAPE, GREEN APPLE, LEMON, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars Chocolate North America LLC1/100
5Equate Clear Liquid Hand SoapUnknown4/100
6Skittles LittlesSkittles9/100
7Skittles Pop'dSkittles12/100
8EquateUnknown16/100
9Trail MixKirkland18/100
10PEANUT CHOCOLATE CANDIES, PEANUTMars Chocolate North America LLC20/100
11ASSORTED CARAMELS SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE CANDY, ASSORTED CARAMELSRussell Stover Candies Inc.20/100
12ORIGINAL GRAPE, LEMON, LIME, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE JELLY BEANS, ORIGINALMars, Inc.25/100
13ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars, Inc.30/100
14MARSHMALLOW FLAVORED CEREAL WITH MARSHMALLOWS, MARSHMALLOWThe Kellogg Company 56/100
15HOLIDAY FAVORITES JELLY BEANS, CRANBERRY SAUCE, CANDY CANE, PUMPKIN PIE, EGG NOG, HOT CHOCOLATEJelly Belly Candy Company68/100
16CANDY FAVORITES HOLIDAY ROYAL MIXBig Y Foods, Inc.68/100
17ARCHER FARMS, STRAWBERRY CHEESE DANISHTarget Stores68/100
18ARCHER FARMS, GUPID'S CRUNCH TRAIL MIXTarget Stores68/100
19GREAT VALUE, NANFAT YOGURT, BLUEBERRY, BLUEBERRYWal-Mart Stores, Inc.68/100
20TARGET STORE SUGAR COOKIE KIT, TARGET STORETarget Stores68/100
21GREAT VALUE, LOWFAT YOGURT, RASPBERRYWal-Mart Stores, Inc.68/100
22MARKET PANTRY, SNACKS, MIXED BERRY, MIXED BERRYTarget Stores68/100
23MARKET PANTRY, FRUIT SNACKS, MIXED FRUIT, MIXED FRUITTarget Stores68/100
24HOLIDAY FAVORITES JELLY BEANS, EGG NOG; CANDY CANE; PUMPKIN PIE; CRANBERRY SAUCE; HOT CHOCOLATEJelly Belly Candy Company68/100

Showing 24 of 26 products. Download CheckIt AI to scan any product for Blue 1.

Safer Alternatives to Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)

✓ Spirulina extract✓ Butterfly pea flower✓ Red cabbage extract (at high pH)✓ Blueberry concentrate

How to Avoid Blue 1

  1. Download CheckIt AI — scan any product with your phone camera, no barcode needed.
  2. Check the ingredients — look for any of its 5 alternate names: Brilliant Blue FCF, FD&C Blue No. 1, E133.
  3. Choose alternatives — opt for products using Spirulina extract or Butterfly pea flower instead.
  4. Buy European brands — products made for the EU market won't contain Blue 1.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue 1 safe?
Blue 1 has been linked to hyperactivity, allergic reactions, and chromosomal damage. Studies show it may cross the blood-brain barrier. Several European countries ban it while the US has no restrictions.

📊 Data Sources: Product data from our database of 26,000+ scanned products. Regulatory data from FDA, EFSA, Health Canada, FSANZ, and published research. Last updated: 2026-03-05.

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📋 Cite This Data
APACheckIt AI. (2026). "Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (26 Products) | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-1
MLA"Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (26 Products) | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-03-05. https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-1.
HTML Embed<a href="https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-1">Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (26 Products) | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>
BibTeX@misc{checkit2026bannedineuropeblue1, title = {Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (26 Products) | CheckIt AI}, author = {CheckIt AI}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Climaverse PBC}, url = {https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-1}, note = {Retrieved 2026-03-05} }