Red 40 (Allura Red AC) β€” Banned in Europe, Legal in US Food

Red 40 (Allura Red AC) is banned or restricted in Austria, France, Finland but remains legal in US food products. We found 34 products in our database that contain it.

34
Products Contain This
5
Countries Ban/Restrict
5
Known Health Risks
5
Safer Alternatives

What is Red 40 (Allura Red AC)?

Red 40 is the most widely used artificial food dye in the United States. It is derived from petroleum and is used to give foods a bright red color. The EU requires warning labels on products containing Red 40, stating it 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.'

Also Known As

Allura Red ACFD&C Red No. 40E129CI 16035Red 40 Lake

Look for any of these names on ingredient labels β€” they all refer to Red 40 (Allura Red AC).

🚫 Banned/Restricted In

⚠️ US Status

Legal β€” FDA approved with no required warnings. Used in thousands of products including candy, cereal, beverages, and snacks.

Health Risks of Red 40 (Allura Red AC)

⚠️Hyperactivity in children
⚠️Behavioral changes
⚠️Allergic reactions
⚠️Potential carcinogenicity (contaminated with benzidine)
⚠️Attention deficit symptoms

US Products Containing Red 40 (Allura Red AC)

These 25 products from our database contain Red 40 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 antacidUnknown4/100
6Skittles LittlesSkittles9/100
7Skittles Pop'dSkittles12/100
8Trail MixKirkland18/100
9PEANUT CHOCOLATE CANDIES, PEANUTMars Chocolate North America LLC20/100
10ASSORTED CARAMELS SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE CANDY, ASSORTED CARAMELSRussell Stover Candies Inc.20/100
11Instant Oatmeal Fruit & Cream Flavor Variety PackGreat Value24/100
12Equate Complete MultivitaminEquate24/100
13ORIGINAL GRAPE, LEMON, LIME, STRAWBERRY, ORANGE JELLY BEANS, ORIGINALMars, Inc.25/100
14Skittles Original CandySkittles30/100
15ORIGINAL BITE SIZE CANDIES, ORIGINALMars, Inc.30/100
16Great Value Nacho Cheese Tortilla ChipsWalmart35/100
17MARSHMALLOW FLAVORED CEREAL WITH MARSHMALLOWS, MARSHMALLOWThe Kellogg Company 56/100
18GREAT VALUE, LOWFAT YOGURT, RASPBERRYWal-Mart Stores, Inc.68/100
19MARKET PANTRY, SNACKS, MIXED BERRY, MIXED BERRYTarget Stores68/100
20MARKET PANTRY, FRUIT SNACKS, MIXED FRUIT, MIXED FRUITTarget Stores68/100
21MARKET PANTRY, FRUIT SNACKS, STRAWBERRY, STRAWBERRYTarget Stores68/100
22MARKET PANTRY, SUGAR FREE DRINK MIX, STRAWBERRY LEMONADE, STRAWBERRY LEMONADETarget Stores68/100
23TARGET STORE SUGAR COOKIE KIT, TARGET STORETarget Stores68/100
24GREAT VALUE, NANFAT YOGURT, BLUEBERRY, BLUEBERRYWal-Mart Stores, Inc.68/100
25HOLIDAY FAVORITES JELLY BEANS, EGG NOG; CANDY CANE; PUMPKIN PIE; CRANBERRY SAUCE; HOT CHOCOLATEJelly Belly Candy Company68/100

Showing 25 of 34 products. Download CheckIt AI to scan any product for Red 40.

Safer Alternatives to Red 40 (Allura Red AC)

βœ“ Beet juice powderβœ“ Paprika extractβœ“ Lycopene (from tomatoes)βœ“ Carmine (natural red from cochineal)βœ“ Anthocyanins (from berries)

How to Avoid Red 40

  1. Download CheckIt AI β€” scan any product with your phone camera, no barcode needed.
  2. Check the ingredients β€” look for any of its 5 alternate names: Allura Red AC, FD&C Red No. 40, E129.
  3. Choose alternatives β€” opt for products using Beet juice powder or Paprika extract instead.
  4. Buy European brands β€” products made for the EU market won't contain Red 40.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Red 40 banned in Europe?
Red 40 is not fully banned in the EU but requires a mandatory warning label: 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.' Several European countries like Austria, France, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have further restrictions. In the US, no warning is required.
What foods contain Red 40?
Red 40 is found in thousands of US products including Skittles, Doritos, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, many cereals, candy, fruit snacks, and processed foods. Use CheckIt AI to scan any product instantly.
Why is Red 40 bad for you?
Studies have linked Red 40 to hyperactivity in children, allergic reactions, and behavioral changes. It may be contaminated with benzidine, a known carcinogen. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has called for a ban.

πŸ“Š 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.

Other Banned Ingredients

Yellow 5 Yellow 6 Red 3 Blue 1 Blue 2 Green 3 Titanium Dioxide BHA BHT Potassium Bromate Brominated Vegetable Oil Azodicarbonamide rBGH / rBST Ractopamine Olestra TBHQ Propylparaben Sodium Nitrite Carrageenan All Banned Ingredients Ingredient Encyclopedia Ingredient Glossary
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Ingredient Safety

Red 40Yellow 5Yellow 6AspartameBHABHTSodium NitriteCarrageenanSucraloseTitanium DioxidePotassium BromateHigh Fructose Corn SyrupMSGSodium BenzoateTBHQPolysorbate 80Red 3Caramel ColorSoy LecithinNatural FlavorsAcesulfame-KMaltodextrinXanthan GumGuar GumCitric AcidErythritolBlue 1Propyl GallateMono & DiglyceridesPectinAcacia GumAgarAnnattoAutolyzed YeastAzodicarbonamideBVOCalcium PropionateCarnauba WaxCelluloseDATEMDisodium InosinateGellan GumKonjacLocust Bean GumMethylcelluloseSodium AlginateSodium Aluminum PhosphateTragacanth Gum

Food Safety Answers

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Ingredient Comparisons

Red 40 vs Yellow 5Red 40 vs Yellow 6Aspartame vs SucraloseAspartame vs HFCSBHA vs BHTRed 40 vs AspartameCarrageenan vs Soy LecithinSucralose vs HFCSTBHQ vs BHATBHQ vs BHTRed 40 vs Titanium DioxideRed 40 vs Caramel ColorMSG vs Natural FlavorsSodium Benzoate vs Potassium BromateYellow 5 vs Red 3Polysorbate 80 vs CarrageenanXanthan Gum vs Guar GumRed 40 vs Red 3Erythritol vs SucraloseMaltodextrin vs HFCSAll Ingredient Comparisons

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Banned in Europe

All Banned IngredientsRed 40 (Allura Red)Yellow 5 (Tartrazine)Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow)Red 3 (Erythrosine)Titanium DioxideBHABHTPotassium BromateBrominated Vegetable OilAzodicarbonamideTBHQ

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Ingredient Side Effects

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πŸ“‹ Cite This Data
APACheckIt AI. (2026). "Red 40 (Allura Red AC): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (34 Products) | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/red-40
MLA"Red 40 (Allura Red AC): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (34 Products) | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-03-05. https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/red-40.
HTML Embed<a href="https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/red-40">Red 40 (Allura Red AC): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (34 Products) | CheckIt AI β€” CheckIt AI</a>
BibTeX@misc{checkit2026bannedineuropered40, title = {Red 40 (Allura Red AC): Banned in Europe But Legal in US Food (34 Products) | CheckIt AI}, author = {CheckIt AI}, year = {2026}, publisher = {Climaverse PBC}, url = {https://getcheck.it/banned-in-europe/red-40}, note = {Retrieved 2026-03-05} }