Tools
Ingredient list checker for food dyes and additives
Paste the ingredient list from a package, or type it. The checker finds the 14 dyes and additives that federal and state laws name, and tells you where each one stands.
Check an ingredient list against federal and state rules
Tracked dyes and additives found
5 found
Red 40 (E129): Out of school food from December 31, 2027
Read as RED 40. FDA: Allowed by FDA.
AB 2316 (2024), school food: Enacted, not yet in effect
Yellow 5 (E102): Out of school food from December 31, 2027
Read as YELLOW 5. FDA: Allowed by FDA.
AB 2316 (2024), school food: Enacted, not yet in effect
Yellow 6 (E110): Out of school food from December 31, 2027
Read as YELLOW 6. FDA: Allowed by FDA.
AB 2316 (2024), school food: Enacted, not yet in effect
Blue 1 (E133): Out of school food from December 31, 2027
Read as BLUE 1. FDA: Allowed by FDA.
AB 2316 (2024), school food: Enacted, not yet in effect
Titanium dioxide (E171): Allowed: no state law found
Read as TITANIUM DIOXIDE. FDA: Allowed by FDA.
A list can say "artificial color" or "color added" without naming the dye: only the label's own words are read. Legal status only, not health advice.
An ingredient list is the only reliable record of what a packaged food contains, and US labeling rules make it a good one for dyes. Under 21 CFR 101.22, a certified color such as Red 40 must be named in the list; it cannot hide behind "artificial color". The name may be shortened, so "Red 40", "Red No. 40" and "FD&C Red No. 40" all mean the same listed dye, and the word "Lake" must stay when the lake form is used. Imported products may print E numbers instead, such as E129 for Red 40 or E102 for Yellow 5, or the INS numbers used in Codex. The checker reads all of these forms, splits grouped names such as "Yellow 5 & 6", and ignores numbers that are quantities. It then gives, for the state you pick, the FDA status and every state rule that names the substance, as read on November 1, 2026. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
Quick check: one dye, one state, today
Yellow 5 in Texas, November 5, 2026
Banned in school food in Texas
| FDA | Allowed by FDA |
| SB 314 (89th Legislature, 2025), school food | In effect |
| SB 25 (89th Legislature, 2025), package label: Enacted, a court order bars enforcement against some companies | |
Legal status only, not health advice.
Laws and FDA orders read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
What the checker looks for
It recognizes the 14 substances that appear in federal decisions or in at least one enacted state law: the seven certified dyes still listed or recently ordered off the market (Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3), the two narrow-use dyes Citrus Red 2 and Orange B, and five other additives: brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide and BHA. Each has its own page with the names it can appear under.
How the matching works
The text is read in capitals, with the "FD&C" prefix set aside, so "FD&C Yellow No. 5", "F.D.&C. Yellow #5" and "yellow 5" give the same match. A group such as "Blue 1 & 2" or "Yellows 5 and 6" is split into one dye per number. A number followed by a percent sign or a decimal is a quantity, so "contains 2% or less of" does not trigger a false Red 2. Chemical names are recognized as well: erythrosine, tartrazine, allura red, sunset yellow, brilliant blue, indigotine or indigo carmine, fast green, butylated hydroxyanisole and "bromated flour". The same matcher counted the products on the product search page, so the two always agree.
Reading the result
The headline for each substance is the most binding rule that applies on the build date of the page: a federal ban first, then a state ban on all food, then a school rule, then a label rule. School rules cover what a school serves or sells on campus, not what a store sells. The tag next to each law gives its status: in effect, enacted but not yet in effect, blocked or limited by a court, or a bill passed by the legislature but not signed. To test a future date, use the state checker, which takes any date.
Quick check: one dye, one state, today
Yellow 5 in Texas, November 5, 2026
Banned in school food in Texas
| FDA | Allowed by FDA |
| SB 314 (89th Legislature, 2025), school food | In effect |
| SB 25 (89th Legislature, 2025), package label: Enacted, a court order bars enforcement against some companies | |
Legal status only, not health advice.
Limits
The checker reads words, not food. It cannot tell whether a "natural flavor" contains a color, whether a sub-ingredient was left out of the list, or whether the package in your hand matches the text you pasted. It gives no view on health, only on what laws and FDA orders say. A list from a website may differ from the printed label, and the printed label prevails. When a law names a substance we do not track, the state page says so.