Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine) — Banned in Europe, Legal in US Food

Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine) is banned or restricted in Norway (requires warning labels in EU) but remains legal in US food products. We found 14 products in our database that contain it.

14
Products Contain This
1
Countries Ban/Restrict
5
Known Health Risks
4
Safer Alternatives

What is Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine)?

Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine) is a synthetic indigo dye used in candy, beverages, and pet foods. It is derived from petroleum and has been linked to brain tumors in animal studies.

Also Known As

Indigo CarmineFD&C Blue No. 2E132CI 73015Blue 2 Lake

Look for any of these names on ingredient labels — they all refer to Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine).

🚫 Banned/Restricted In

⚠️ US Status

Legal — FDA approved. Used in candy, beverages, baked goods, and pet food.

Health Risks of Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine)

⚠️Brain tumors in animal studies
⚠️Hyperactivity
⚠️Nausea
⚠️High blood pressure
⚠️Allergic reactions

US Products Containing Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine)

These 14 products from our database contain Blue 2 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
5Skittles LittlesSkittles9/100
6Trail MixKirkland18/100
7PEANUT CHOCOLATE CANDIES, PEANUTMars Chocolate North America LLC20/100
8Equate Complete MultivitaminEquate24/100
9Instant Oatmeal Fruit & Cream Flavor Variety PackGreat Value24/100
10ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars, Inc.30/100
11Skittles Original CandySkittles30/100
12HOLIDAY FAVORITES JELLY BEANS, CRANBERRY SAUCE, CANDY CANE, PUMPKIN PIE, EGG NOG, HOT CHOCOLATEJelly Belly Candy Company68/100
13ARCHER FARMS, GUPID'S CRUNCH TRAIL MIXTarget Stores68/100
14CHOCOLATE FUDGE SUGAR FREE INSTANT REDUCED CALORIE PUDDING & PIE FILLING, CHOCOLATE FUDGEKraft Heinz Foods Company88/100

Safer Alternatives to Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine)

✓ Spirulina✓ Butterfly pea flower extract✓ Blueberry juice✓ Elderberry extract

How to Avoid Blue 2

  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: Indigo Carmine, FD&C Blue No. 2, E132.
  3. Choose alternatives — opt for products using Spirulina or Butterfly pea flower extract instead.
  4. Buy European brands — products made for the EU market won't contain Blue 2.
📬

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue 2 harmful?
Animal studies linked Blue 2 to brain tumors and behavioral changes. While the FDA considers it safe at current levels, Norway bans it and the EU requires warning labels on products containing it.

📊 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 2 (Indigo Carmine): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (14 Products) | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-2
MLA"Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (14 Products) | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-03-05. https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-2.
HTML Embed<a href="https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-2">Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (14 Products) | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>
BibTeX@misc{checkit2026bannedineuropeblue2, title = {Blue 2 (Indigo Carmine): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (14 Products) | CheckIt AI}, author = {CheckIt AI}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Climaverse PBC}, url = {https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/blue-2}, note = {Retrieved 2026-03-05} }