Food additive E102 (tartrazine): scope of application and properties. Harmful food additive E102 - tartrazine, description and application

At the same time, it has been scientifically proven that eating E 102 can in rare cases cause allergic reactions in healthy people and lead to exacerbations of chronic diseases of an allergic nature.

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Prohibitions and restrictions

Until the end of the 70s of the last century, this dye was banned for use in European countries, but later the ban was lifted. The European Food Safety Authority allows the use of E 102 in processed cheese, canned or bottled fruit and vegetable juices, processed fish or fishery products, wines and wine-based drinks.

In Canada, there is no requirement to indicate specifically the presence of E 102 in food products; a general label - .

In the United States, the label on the package is “Dietary Supplement FD+C Yellow No.” 5" with a warning about possible allergic reactions is compulsory for all manufacturers and sellers.

In Russia, the use of E 102 in food products is permitted, but its maximum concentration is regulated.

Food additive E102 Tartrazine is a synthetic dye that does not exist in natural form. It is obtained from coal tar, which is nothing more than waste generated during the mining process of coal. The most important feature that has led to its widespread use in food production is its low cost. The price of the dye is about $10 per kilogram, which is significantly cheaper than all other analogues of the yellow dye.

Externally, this food additive may look like powder or granules, or like aluminum varnish (powdery) or like a yellow aqueous solution.

If you find the inscription “food additive E102” on the packaging of any product, then the product may contain one of three substances: sodium, potassium or calcium salt; aluminum varnish.

This food coloring is allowed in the CIS countries and the European Union, although in the same European Union until the 80s of the last century, it was banned due to its negative impact on the human body. This substance is one of the most harmful among all other dyes. However, we will talk in more detail about the effect of the E102 supplement on health below.

The classic way to use tartrazine is to add it to food products, but in the EU countries and the USA it is also used to color medical preparations. Dye E102 can also be found in shampoos, body gels, and bath foam. It can be used to tint liquid cleaning products, as well as dishwashing detergents. Tartrazine has also found application in the textile industry: it is used to dye fabrics such as silk and wool.

Application of tartrazine in food production

Tartrazine is quite popular in the food industry, especially considering its low cost. It is most often used to tint drinks, as well as to give a yellow color to confectionery products: jam, jelly, sweets, ice cream, pastries, cakes, etc. The food additive can also be found in canned vegetables (legumes, peas, cucumbers, pickles, etc.) and fruits, for example, pears. In addition, it is used for coloring some fermented milk products: yoghurts and various desserts. The additive has also found its application in the production of instant food, in particular in purees and dry soups. It is also quite common to color mustard with tartrazine.

E102 dye is used both independently and in combination with other dyes. So if you mix it with a blue dye, you can get a green color, and if you mix it with red, you can get a brown or black color.

Aluminum varnish, which is also considered E102 dye, is used to color the surface of the dragee.

Effect on the human body: is the supplement harmful or not?

The food additive E102 has the most negative effect on the human body. It can manifest itself either in a mild form in the form of allergic reactions, or in a rather severe form. So, due to the consumption of this substance, Merkelsson-Rosenthal syndrome may develop (symptoms of the disease: swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, as well as paralysis of the facial nerve). In addition, the dye can cause Quincke's edema (a severe allergic reaction, which even due to severe swelling of the larynx can lead to suffocation).

The food additive E102 is particularly harmful to children's bodies. In addition to severe allergic reactions, it can reduce the child’s concentration and provoke hyperactivity.

Due to the high risk of side effects for the dye, the norm for its addition to the finished product has been established. It is 150 mg per 1 kg of product. In addition, there is a maximum daily intake of the substance. It should not exceed 7.5 mg per kg of body weight of an adult healthy person.

Synonymous names

Synonymous names for food coloring E102 are:

• tartrazine;
• tartrazine;
• acid yellow 23;
• CI food yellow 4;
• FD&C yellow no. 5 (USA).

Turmeric, albedo, beet juice, saffron are all natural dyes that do not pose any danger to our health. But in the food industry, unfortunately, harmful additives made by chemical synthesis are more often used. Tartrazine is one of these dyes. This substance has a negative effect on the human body and is officially considered toxic.

Characteristics of E102

Tartrazine is a synthetic food coloring that gives foods a yellow color. This substance belongs to industrial waste and is coal tar.

The E102 additive is widely used due to its low cost, which is about $10 per 1 kg. It is used both in pure form and in combination with other dyes, which will depend on what color or shade the final product should acquire.

Effect on the body

The food coloring tartrazine is allowed to be used only in strictly limited quantities, which are regulated by law.

And the reason for this was scientific research, the result of which is as follows:

• this substance is recognized as an allergen that can provoke urticaria, which manifests itself in the form of a rash;
• a direct connection has been proven between the development of malignant neoplasms and the presence of the E102 supplement in the diet;
• food coloring tartazine increases hyperactivity and reduces mental activity in children;
• This additive has the ability to enhance the carcinogenic properties of the preservative E211 - sodium benzoate.

It is obvious that tartrazine can cause enormous harm to the human body, especially when it comes to children's health. But despite this, this dye is actively used in the food industry. According to the legislative framework, depending on the type of product, the amount of E102 additive can be from 100 to 105 mg per 1 kg of finished product. And the daily intake of this substance should not exceed 7.5 mg per 1 kg of weight.

On a note! Until recently, the EU countries banned the use of tartazine in food production. However, this ban was lifted not long ago. And there is still no clear answer as to what caused this!

But at the same time, manufacturers were obliged not only to indicate on the packaging the presence of the E102 additive in the composition of products, but also to prescribe its exact amount. In this case, the consumer must decide for himself whether to include such a product in his diet or give preference to a more expensive, but natural product.

Tartazine in food

The synthetic dye tartrazine, or E102, can be seen on the labels of the following products:

• ice cream;
• jelly;
• mustard;
• yogurt;
• soups;
• cakes;
• candies;
• carbonated drinks;
• canned fruits and vegetables.

This additive can color both an individual product and any mixture yellow or any of its shades. At the end, the product acquires an attractive color.

When purchasing products for your menu, it is important to pay attention not to their appearance, but to their composition and environmental friendliness. Read the labels carefully and try to avoid products made with synthetic dyes. Let there be less colorful colors on your table, but at the same time you can maintain your health!

All materials on the website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!

Tartrazine or E-102- yellow synthetic dye. By its nature it is coal tar and belongs to industrial waste. Its wide distribution tartrazine received due to its low cost (about $10/kg). Additive E-102- one of the cheapest synthetic dyes. Dye E-102 used in the food industry to give products a yellow color. Often mixed with other dyes to give products a specific color and shade.

Health effects of E-102 supplement

Tartrazine, a dye widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, causes significant destruction of cysteine ​​and cystine. Urticaria associated with tartrazine was first described in 1957. The estimated incidence of urticarial reactions to tartrazine accounts for 5-10% of the total number of patients with urticaria. Merkelsson-Rosenthal syndrome (a combination of recurrent angioedema, fissures of the tongue and possible damage to the facial nerve), which is induced by tartrazine and/or sodium benzoate and disappears with an elimination diet, has been described. About the dangers of the supplement E-102 There is still much debate going on. For example, tartrazine in the recent past was banned for use in many European countries, but under pressure from the European Union the use of the dye was banned E-102 and a number of other food additives was removed by EU Directive 94/36/EC. In 1986, studies of tartrazine were conducted in America, which showed that in a small group of people (1 in 10 thousand) due to the use of the additive E-102 Allergic reactions in the form of a skin rash may occur. Recent research conducted by the University of Southampton on behalf of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has shown that consuming products containing tartrazine leads to increased hyperactivity and decreased concentration in children. There is often unverified information that the supplement E-102 can lead to a variety of negative consequences from headaches to cancerous tumors. These data are significantly exaggerated and not confirmed by official data. In most countries, the use of a dietary supplement E-102 in food products is strictly standardized, and usually amounts to 100–150 mg of dye per kilogram of the finished product. Tartrazine enhances the carcinogenic properties of sodium benzoate (Sodium Benzoate E-211).

Use of yellow dye "tatrazine" in the food industry

E-102 used in ice cream, jelly, puree, soups, yogurt, mustard and carbonated drinks of yellow colors of all shades, candies, cakes. Also, often, dye E-102 can be found in canned vegetables and fruits.

Today, almost all store shelves are lined with products to which food additives have been added. It is very difficult to find a product where they are absent. These substances are intended to improve the consistency, appearance, taste and extend the shelf life of products. Most additives are of artificial origin, while rare ones are natural.

And of course, the question that is very relevant now is: what impact do they have on human health? Many people believe that all food additives, without exception, are harmful. But this is far from true. There are those that have no particular effect on health, but there are those that can even be beneficial. And the consumption of certain products completely depends on the choice of the person - some live for pleasure and give preference to enjoying the taste, while others lead a healthy lifestyle and monitor their diet, finding a middle ground when buying products.

This article will cover in more detail such a food additive as E102 (tartrazine). It is far from safe, but has the widest distribution. This is due to the very low price of this product, which is extremely beneficial to manufacturers.

Method for producing tartrazine

E102 (tartrazine) refers to artificially synthesized substances, that is, it has no analogues in nature. It is obtained from coal tar, which is nothing more than waste from various industries. This is what ensures such a low cost of tartrazine. It is formed during special distillation of raw materials. The resulting substance is packaged in sealed enamel-tinted containers.

In Russia, the main manufacturer is Interline LLC. There are also foreign suppliers from India and China.

Forms and properties of tartrazine

• Tartrazine can be in powder form or in solution form.
• It has a color from golden to yellow (which colors products).
• It has neither taste nor smell.

E102, presented in powder, is also called aluminum varnish.

In the food industry, tartrazine can be used in several variants - in the form of calcium, sodium, potassium salts or aluminum varnish itself. The powdered form of this substance is highly soluble in water or fat and easily breaks down into simpler components under the influence of high temperatures and ultraviolet rays. Due to the good solubility of tartrazine, the color intensity of the dyed product can be controlled.

Use and application of tartrazine (E102 additive)

This substance is used as a yellow dye. It has found its greatest application in the manufacture of food products. But tartrazine is also added to shampoos, shower gels, liquid soaps, dishwashing detergents, and some medications. It is used to dye wool and silk fabrics yellow.

The food additive tartrazine colors many sweet foods (jelly, jam, desserts, marmalade, pastries and cakes, candies and chocolates with fillings, yoghurts), drinks (soda, liqueurs, sports drinks, energy drinks), canned vegetables and fruits (cucumbers) yellow. , peas, corn, beans, pears, peaches), fast food, chewing gum, sauces. It is very popular to add tartrazine to mustard during its production. Aluminum varnish (tartrazine in powder form) is used to color the dragee shell.

In addition to the fact that E102 turns yellow, when mixed with certain substances it can give other shades:

• when mixed with a red dye, the dye will be black or brown;
• When a blue dye is added to tartrazine, a green tint will be obtained.

This property of the E102 additive is also widely used in the food industry, because it allows you to save significant amounts of money on the production of food dyes.

Effect of E102 on the human body. Benefits and harms

Tartrazine is approved for use in countries such as Russia, Ukraine and many European countries. Although until the 90s of the twentieth century it was prohibited for use in the food industry due to its negative impact on human health. The great advantage of this dye is that it is cheap to produce. This economic component defeated the ban, despite the consequences.

Due to the great danger of developing negative effects from consuming E102 in food, the maximum permissible concentration of tartrazine in the finished product has been established. It is 150 mg per 1 kg. For an adult, the maximum permissible dose of this substance per day was also determined - 7.5 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Harm of food additive E 102 and side effects from overdose

Possible side effects from consuming large quantities of foods rich in the dietary supplement will be discussed below. E102.

• The most severe and dangerous consequence of using tartrazine is allergic reaction . It can be of varying severity - from minor itching and redness of the skin to severe urticaria and widespread Quincke's edema. The latter may be accompanied by damage to the tissues of the face and neck, which can lead to the development of suffocation. Often the negative effect of the E102 supplement is manifested by Merkelsson-Rosenthal syndrome, in which swelling of the face (mostly of the lips and mouth) and larynx occurs, which is accompanied by paralysis of the facial nerve.

Tartrazine causes disturbance of mineral metabolism:

• - calcium and magnesium deficiency develops;
• - zinc is washed out of the body;
• — Lead accumulates in cells.

All this has an extremely negative impact on state of the human nervous system.

• The effect of tartrazine on a child’s body, especially on the central nervous system, is very detrimental. The child's concentration decreases and develops hyperactivity syndrome.

This is not a harmless, approved food additive.

Be careful when choosing products!