Dyes and additives

Yellow 5 (tartrazine): status and state laws

Tartrazine is the yellow dye with its own federal labeling rule. It is still allowed in food nationwide, and named in most of the new state school laws.

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FD&C Yellow No. 5 in California, November 5, 2026

Out of school food from December 31, 2027

FDAAllowed by FDA Listed for use in food; a food that contains it must name it as FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the ingredient list (21 CFR 74.705(d)(2)). Part of FDA's voluntary phase-out request.
school foodEnacted, not yet in effect AB 2316 (2024), from December 31, 2027.

FD&C Yellow No. 5, E102, CAS 1934-21-0. 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

Yellow 5 is still allowed in food by the FDA, but it is the one synthetic dye with a labeling rule of its own: under 21 CFR 74.705(d)(2), any food that contains it must name it in the ingredient list as FD&C Yellow No. 5 or Yellow 5, not just "artificial color". Yellow 5 is one of the six dyes the FDA asked industry to phase out in April 2025; no revocation order has followed. State laws treat it like Red 40: it is in the school-food rules of most states that have one, it is among the substances that would be banned from food sold in West Virginia from 2028, and it is on the Texas warning-label list. In the European Union it is E102 and carries the EU warning sentence for six colors.

Which states keep this dye out of school food?

School-food rules naming Yellow 5

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

The same dye, many forms

Lake pigments of tartrazine are used where a dye must not run, such as coated candy or cereal pieces; their name must keep the word "Lake". Yellow 5 is often paired with Yellow 6 for orange tones and with Blue 1 for green, which is why packages print "Yellow 5 & 6" or "Yellow 5, Blue 1". The checker splits those groups into separate dyes.

Where it is common

In the product data it is, after Red 40, one of the dyes most often listed in candy; the table below gives the counts by category.

Yellow 5: identity and federal status

Read on November 1, 2026.
Name in the federal rulesFD&C Yellow No. 5
Other names on labelsTartrazine
E number (EU)E102
CAS number1934-21-0
Federal rule21 CFR 74.705
FDA statusListed for use in food; a food that contains it must name it as FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the ingredient list (21 CFR 74.705(d)(2)). Part of FDA's voluntary phase-out request.

State laws that name Yellow 5

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 Yellow 5 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
Gelatin and pudding7992,03339.3%
Candy and chocolate11,67933,90434.4%
Chewing gum and mints4721,66928.3%
Frosting, sprinkles and syrups1,6446,35025.9%
Cakes, pastries and toaster pastries2,84314,00720.3%
Cookies2,56014,74017.4%
Cake and baking mixes8997,50712.0%
Drink mixes and water enhancers5984,99412.0%

Questions people ask

Which states have a law naming Yellow 5?

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 Yellow 5 today?

Allowed by FDA. Listed for use in food; a food that contains it must name it as FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the ingredient list (21 CFR 74.705(d)(2)). Part of FDA's voluntary phase-out request. 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 Yellow 5 appear on an ingredient list?

It may be written as Tartrazine, and products made for Europe print E102. Federal rule 21 CFR 74.705 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