Ingredient Index · E123

Is Amaranth (E123) banned in Europe?

Banned in US only

This is a reversed case: amaranth, once FD&C Red No. 2, was pulled from the US food supply in 1976 as a suspected carcinogen. Europe never banned it outright and still permits it as E123 for a short list of uses.

E-number: E123CAS: 915-67-3 Also seen as: Amaranth, FD&C Red No. 2, Red 2, E123, Azorubine S

What the EU does

Permitted, narrowly. Amaranth is authorized in the EU as the food color E123, but its allowed uses are deliberately short: mainly aperitif wines and spirit drinks and fish roe, at capped levels. It was one of the azo dyes EFSA re-examined, and the committee kept a low acceptable daily intake rather than removing it.

So this is not a case of Europe waving a risky dye through. It is a case of Europe keeping a tightly limited authorization while the US went all the way to a ban. The interesting divergence runs the opposite direction from most of the dye stories.

Citation E123 authorized for limited uses under Reg (EC) No 1333/2008 (EU food additives), Annex II; EFSA re-evaluation of amaranth (E123), 2010, retained a conservative ADI

What the US does

Banned. The FDA terminated the provisional listing of FD&C Red No. 2, the American name for amaranth, in February 1976, after Soviet studies and subsequent debate raised the possibility that it was a carcinogen. The evidence was contested, and the agency itself acknowledged the data were not conclusive, but it delisted the color rather than continue the provisional approval.

The result is one of the most famous color-additive bans in US history, and a rare instance where America removed a dye that Europe still allows. It is often confused with Red 40, which replaced much of its use, but they are different molecules.

Citation FDA termination of the provisional listing of FD&C Red No. 2 (amaranth), Federal Register, February 1976; CPG Sec 587.200 (delisted colors)

Products that commonly contain it

Because it is banned in the US, you would only meet amaranth abroad, in:

European aperitif wines and some spirit drinks
Fish roe and caviar substitutes
Some imported European sweets and drinks
Non-food uses, where it still appears as a dye

What to look for on a label

On a European label you can spot it directly:

Look for "E123" or "amaranth" in the ingredients
In the US it will not appear, because it is not an approved color
Do not confuse it with the amaranth grain, which is an unrelated food

Or skip the squinting: paste the whole ingredient list into our checker and it flags everything in our database. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is amaranth banned in Europe?

No. The EU still permits amaranth as the food color E123, though only for a short list of uses like aperitif wines and fish roe. It is the US, not Europe, that banned it.

Why was it banned in the US?

The FDA delisted FD&C Red No. 2 in 1976 after studies raised a possible cancer risk. The evidence was disputed, but the agency chose to end the provisional listing.

Is it the same as Red 40?

No. Red 40 (Allura Red) is a different dye that took over much of amaranth's former role in the US. They are often confused but are not the same molecule.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed August 17, 2026 · How we assign statuses