FDA Food Color Additive List

Here is a list of permitted and nonpermitted Food Color Additive List regulated by the FDA.

FDA Food Color Additive List;

Color additives exempt from certification and permanently listed for FOOD use.

• Algae meal, dried – Chicken feed only: ≤ 0.3% ethoxyquin in meal ≤ 150 ppm ethoxyquin in final feed – 73.275
• Annatto extract – GMP – 73.30
• Astaxanthin – Salmonid fish feed only: ≤ 80 mg per kg of finished feed – 73.35
• Astaxanthin dimethyldisuccinate – Salmonid fish feed only: ≤ 80 mg per kg of finished feed – 73.37
• Beet juice (as vegetable juice) – GMP – 73.260
• Beet powder (Dehydrated beets) – GMP – 73.40
• Beta-Apo-8′-carotenal – General use: ≤ 15 mg/lb of solid or semisolid food or per pint of liquid food – 73.90
• Beta carotene, natural and synthetic – GMP – 73.95
• Canthaxanthin – General use: ≤ 30 mg/lb of solid or semisolid food or per pint of liquid food; broiler chicken feed: ≤ 4.41 mg per kg (4 gm/ton) of complete feed; salmonid fish feed: ≤ 80 mg per kg (72 gm/ton) of finished feed – 73.75
• Caramel – GMP – 73.85
• Carmine – GMP – 73.100
• Carrot oil – GMP – 73.300
• Cochineal extract – GMP – 73.100
• Corn endosperm oil – Chicken feed only – 73.315
• Cottonseed flour, toasted partially defatted cooked – GMP – 73.140
• Ferrous gluconate -Ripe olives only – GMP -73.160
• Ferrous lactate – Ripe olives only – GMP – 73.165
• Fruit juice – GMP – 73.250
• Grape color extract – Nonbeverage food only – 73.169
• Grape skin extract (enocianina) – Still and carbonated drinks and ades, beverage bases and alcoholic beverages (in accordance with Parts 4 & 5 of 27 CFR) – 73.170
• Haematococcus algae meal – Salmonid fish feed only. Total astaxanthin from all astaxanthin color additive sources listed in part 73, ≤ 80 mg per kg of finished feed – 73.185
• Synthetic iron oxide – Sausage casings for humans: ≤ 0.10% by wt. of finished food; Hard and soft candy, mints and chewing gum  – GMP; Pb spec. ≤ 5 ppm; cat & dog food: ≤ 0.25% by wt of finished food – 73.200
• Lycopene, tomato extract or concentrate – GMP – 73.585
• Mica-based pearlescent pigment – 1.25% by weight in cereals, confections and frostings, gelatin desserts, hard and soft candies (including lozenges), nutritional supplement tablets and gelatin capsules, and chewing gum. In amounts up to 0.07 % by weight in distilled spirits containing not less than 18 % and not more than 25% alcohol by volume, cordials, liqueurs, flavored alcoholic malt beverages, wine coolers, cocktails, and nonalcoholic cocktail mixers and mixes. In egg decorating kits used for coloring the shells of eggs in amounts consistent with GMP – 73.350
• Paprika & Paprika oleoresin – GMP – 73.340 & 73.345
• Paracoccus pigment – Salmonid fish feed only: ≤ 80 mg per kg of finished feed – 73.352
• Phaffla yeast – Salmonid fish feed only. Total astaxanthin from all astaxanthin color additive sources listed in part 73, ≤ 80 mg per kg of finished feed – 73.355
• Riboflavin – GMP – 73.450
• Saffron – GMP – 73.500
• Sodium copper chlorophyllin – Citrus-based dry beverage mixes only: ≤ 0.2 percent by wt. of the dry mix – 73.125
• Spirulina extract – to color confections (including candy and chewing gum), frostings, ice cream and frozen desserts, dessert coatings and toppings, beverage mixes and powders, yogurts, custards, puddings, cottage cheese, gelatin, breadcrumbs, and ready-to-eat cereals (excluding extruded cereals), at levels consistent with GMPs, except that it may not be used to color foods for which standards of identity have been issued unless the use of added color is authorized by such standards – 73.530
• Tagetes (Aztec marigold) meal and extract – Chicken feed only:  ethoxyquin content ≤ 0.3% by wt. of additive and ≤ 150 ppm by wt. of final feed – 73.295
• Titanium dioxide – ≤ 1.0% by wt. of food – 73.575
• Turmeric & Turmeric oleoresin – GMP – 73.600 & 73.615
• Ultramarine blue – Salt for animal feed only: ≤ 0.5% by wt. of salt – 73.50
• Vegetable juice – GMP – 73.260

Use of the following color additives is no longer authorized:

• Alkanet (Alkane)
• Calcium carbonate – Allowed in drugs
• Carbon black
• Charcoal – NF XI
• Cudbear
• Ferric chloride
• Ferrous sulfate
• Logwood, chips & extract – Logwood extract is still permitted in sutures
• Safflower (American saffron)