Ingredient Index · E124

Is Ponceau 4R banned in Europe?

Banned in US only

Another reversal: Ponceau 4R (E124) is a legal EU food color carrying the children's-attention warning label, while the US never approved it and detains imported foods that contain it at the border.

E-number: E124CAS: 2611-82-7 Also seen as: Cochineal Red A, New Coccine, Brilliant Scarlet 4R, E124, CI 16255

What the EU does

Authorized, restricted, and labeled. Ponceau 4R is on the EU Union list for use in confectionery, glace and cocktail cherries, desserts, soft drinks, and some processed fish products, always with the mandatory Southampton warning that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". After its 2009 re-evaluation, EFSA cut the acceptable daily intake from 4 to 0.7 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, and Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 reduced the maximum permitted doses across categories.

Worth noticing what drove the numbers: the ADI cut rested on kidney findings in long-term animal studies, not on the child-behavior data behind the warning label. Carcinogenicity and genotoxicity testing came back negative. So Europe's posture is a permitted dye at low doses with an advisory for parents, which is precisely the kind of nuance the "banned in Europe" genre flattens.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II and Annex V; EFSA re-evaluation 2009 (ADI 0.7 mg/kg bw/day); Regulation (EU) No 232/2012

What the US does

Never approved, actively enforced. Ponceau 4R appears nowhere in the FDA's certified color list at 21 CFR Part 74, so any food containing it is adulterated under US law. This is not a paper rule: FDA Import Alert 45-02 specifically names Ponceau 4R among unapproved colors, letting inspectors detain violating shipments without physical examination.

That makes E124 the sharpest direction-reversed dye on this site: a substance in ordinary European candy that US customs treats as contraband in food. Americans mostly encounter it through imported sweets, and occasionally through viral posts that get the direction of the ban exactly backwards.

Citation 21 CFR Part 74, Subpart A (no listing); FDA Import Alert 45-02

Products that commonly contain it

In Europe (not the US), E124 shows up in:

Cocktail and glace cherries
Red and pink confectionery, jellies, and dessert toppings
Soft drinks and flavored syrups
Some processed fish roe and surimi products

What to look for on a label

The label habits that matter here:

"Ponceau 4R", "Cochineal Red A", or "E124" on European labels
Do not confuse it with cochineal/carmine (E120), the insect-derived red that IS legal in the US
American reds are typically Red 40 (Allura Red), which Europe also permits with the same warning

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Frequently asked questions

Is Ponceau 4R banned in the US?

It was never approved as a US color additive, which has the same effect as a ban, and FDA Import Alert 45-02 lets inspectors detain imported foods containing it.

Is Ponceau 4R the same as carmine?

No. Carmine (E120) is the natural red made from cochineal insects and is legal in the US. Ponceau 4R is a synthetic azo dye that borrowed the name "Cochineal Red A" for its shade.

Is it dangerous?

Long-term cancer and genotoxicity studies were negative. EFSA cut its intake benchmark over kidney findings in animals, and the EU warning label reflects a possible small effect on children's activity and attention that regulators describe as suggestive rather than proven.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed July 13, 2026 · How we assign statuses