Dyes and additives

Blue 2 (indigo carmine): status and state laws

Indigotine is the less common of the two certified blues. It appears in some candy, cereal and pet food, and in every state list that covers the six dyes.

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FD&C Blue No. 2 in California, November 5, 2026

Out of school food from December 31, 2027

FDAAllowed by FDA Listed for use in food. Part of FDA's voluntary phase-out request; no revocation order.
school foodEnacted, not yet in effect AB 2316 (2024), from December 31, 2027.

FD&C Blue No. 2, E132, CAS 860-22-0. School rules cover food served or sold to students, not grocery shelves. Legal status only, not health advice.

All dye and additive rules in California

Blue 2 is listed for food under 21 CFR 74.102, with no revocation published. The FDA counts it among the six certified dyes it asked manufacturers to drop on a voluntary basis, a request made in April 2025 and now tied to the end of 2027 on the agency's tracker. Because state legislatures copied the federal list of certified colors, Blue 2 appears in nearly every state law on dyes: the school rules of California, Virginia, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Alaska, Iowa and West Virginia, the West Virginia sale ban now enjoined, and the Texas label rule. It is used far less than Blue 1. Among the products counted from FoodData Central, a few thousand list it, mostly candy, snacks and cookies. On a label it can read Blue 2, Blue No. 2, FD&C Blue No. 2, indigotine or indigo carmine, and in Europe E132.

Which states keep this dye out of school food?

School-food rules naming Blue 2

9 states

California: December 31, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect)
West VirginiaAugust 1, 2025 (in effect)
Texas: the 2026-2027 school year (food contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2026) (in effect)
Utah: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect)
Virginia: July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect)
Louisiana: the 2028-2029 school year (enacted, not yet in effect)
Arizona: the 2026-2027 school year (in effect)
Alaska: January 1, 2028 (enacted, not yet in effect)
Iowa: school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027 (enacted, not yet in effect)

All food sold, not only schools: West Virginia.

Read the school meal rules →

Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

A rare dye in labeled products

Far fewer ingredient lists name Blue 2 than Blue 1; the figures below show where it was found. Because the FDA's 2026 policy lets a product claim "no artificial colors" when it contains no petroleum-based dye, a product dropping Blue 2 alone would not earn that claim if it kept other certified colors.

Not to be confused with plant indigo

Indigo carmine is a synthetic dye certified by the FDA batch by batch. Colors drawn from plants, such as gardenia blue or butterfly pea flower extract, are separate listings with their own conditions of use; the natural colors page describes them.

Blue 2: identity and federal status

Read on November 1, 2026.
Name in the federal rulesFD&C Blue No. 2
Other names on labelsIndigo carmine, Indigotine
E number (EU)E132
CAS number860-22-0
Federal rule21 CFR 74.102
FDA statusListed for use in food. Part of FDA's voluntary phase-out request; no revocation order.

State laws that name Blue 2

9 states; laws read on November 1, 2026.
StateLawScopeFromStatus today
CaliforniaAB 2316 (2024)school foodDecember 31, 2027Enacted, not yet in effect
West VirginiaHB 2354 (2025)all food soldJanuary 1, 2028Enacted, enforcement blocked by a court
West VirginiaHB 2354 (2025)school foodAugust 1, 2025In effect
TexasSB 25 (89th Legislature, 2025)package labellabels developed or copyrighted on or after January 1, 2027Enacted, a court order bars enforcement against some companies
TexasSB 314 (89th Legislature, 2025)school foodthe 2026-2027 school year (food contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2026)In effect
UtahHB 402 (2025)school foodthe 2026-2027 school yearIn effect
VirginiaHB 1910 and SB 1289 (2025)school foodJuly 1, 2027Enacted, not yet in effect
LouisianaSB 14 (2025)school foodthe 2028-2029 school yearEnacted, not yet in effect
LouisianaSB 14 (2025)package labelDecember 31, 2028Enacted, not yet in effect
ArizonaHB 2164 (2025)school foodthe 2026-2027 school yearIn effect
AlaskaSB 187 (34th Legislature)school foodJanuary 1, 2028Enacted, not yet in effect
IowaHF 2676 (91st General Assembly)school foodschool years beginning on or after July 1, 2027Enacted, not yet in effect

Where Blue 2 shows up in labeled products

USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods, release of October 29, 2026; one product per barcode.
CategoryProducts listing itProducts in the categoryShare
Candy and chocolate2,61533,9047.7%
Cookies1,06914,7407.3%
Cakes, pastries and toaster pastries72514,0075.2%
Chewing gum and mints861,6695.2%
Frosting, sprinkles and syrups2786,3504.4%
Cake and baking mixes1547,5072.1%
Chips, crackers and snacks1,11555,0862.0%
Breakfast cereal1059,8031.1%

Questions people ask

Which states have a law naming Blue 2?

As of November 1, 2026, 9 states: California, West Virginia, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Louisiana, Arizona, Alaska and Iowa. By kind of rule: all food sold in the state, West Virginia; school food, California, West Virginia, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Louisiana, Arizona, Alaska and Iowa; package labels, Texas and Louisiana. Each rule has its own start date, given in the table on this page with a link to the text.

What is the FDA status of Blue 2 today?

Allowed by FDA. Listed for use in food. Part of FDA's voluntary phase-out request; no revocation order. The federal rule applies in every state, before any state law, and is read in the Federal Register and the electronic Code of Federal Regulations.

How does Blue 2 appear on an ingredient list?

It may be written as Indigo carmine, Indigotine, and products made for Europe print E132. Federal rule 21 CFR 74.102 governs its use. A certified dye must be named in the list rather than covered by "artificial color", and a lake form must keep the word "Lake".

Check next

Dye laws by state

Pick a state and a dye or additive: the FDA rule, every state law that names it, and the date each one starts.

Ingredient list checker

Paste an ingredient list: every tracked dye or additive found, by FD&C name, lake, E or INS number, with its status in your state.

List of artificial food dyes

The nine synthetic dyes certified by the FDA for food, their other names and E numbers, and the status of each.

FDA phase-out

What the FDA has ordered (Red 3, BVO, Orange B), proposed (Citrus Red 2) and only requested (six dyes by the end of 2027).

States banning food dyes

Every state with an enacted dye or additive law, what it covers, from when, and the bills still pending or not confirmed.

Laws and official pages behind this page

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Independent publisher of a state-by-state tracker of food dye and additive laws in the United States, with an ingredient-list checker built on USDA FoodData Central

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Food dye and additive rules 2026, read in each state law and in the Federal Register, last checked on