Erythrosine

Erythrosine

Erythrosine

Iodo-derivative of fluorone used as a pink dye

Erythrosine, also known as Red No. 3, is an organoiodine compound, specifically a derivative of fluorone. It is a pink dye which is primarily used for food coloring.[2] It is the disodium salt of 2,4,5,7-tetraiodofluorescein. Its maximum absorbance is at 530 nm[3] in an aqueous solution, and it is subject to photodegradation.

"Red 3" redirects here. For the techno release called Red Three, see Dave Clarke (DJ).
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Uses

It is used as a food coloring,[4] printing ink,[5] biological stain,[6] dental plaque disclosing agent,[7] radiopaque medium,[6] sensitizer for orthochromatic photographic films, and visible light photoredox catalyst.[8]

Erythrosine is commonly used in sweets such as some candies and ice pops, and even more widely used in cake-decorating gels. It was also used to color pistachio shells.[9] As a food additive, it has the E number E127.

Regulation and prevalence

Erythrosine is banned as a food additive in the European Union, Japan, China, the United Kingdom,[10] Australia, and New Zealand.[11][12] Erythrosine can be used in colored food and ingested drugs in the U.S. without any restriction; however, its use is banned in cosmetics and topical drugs. It is less commonly used in the United States because Allura Red AC (Red #40) is generally used instead.[13] The lake variant is also banned from use in the United States.

The European Food Safety Authority only allows erythrosine in processed cherries[14] and pet foods.[15][16]

United States

As a result of efforts begun in the 1970s, in 1990, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) instituted a partial ban on erythrosine, citing research that high doses cause cancer in rats.[17] A 1990 study concluded that "chronic erythrosine ingestion may promote thyroid tumor formation in rats via chronic stimulation of the thyroid by TSH." with 4% of total daily dietary intake consisting of erythrosine B.[18] A series of toxicology tests combined with a review of other reported studies concluded that erythrosine is non-genotoxic and any increase in tumors is caused by a non-genotoxic mechanism.[19]

In June 2008, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) petitioned the FDA for a complete ban on erythrosine in the United States,[20] but the FDA has not taken any further action.

As of May 2023, the U.S. state of New York is considering banning the use of Red Dye No. 3 in foods (it was already banned from cosmetics as of 1990) because it has been shown to cause cancer in animals and because of claims that it, and other synthetic food dyes, may contribute to child behavioral problems such as hyperactivity.[21] California plans to ban the manufacture, sale, and distribution of foods containing Red Dye No. 3 starting in 2027, following a bill signed into law in October 2023 that also bans three other food additives: propylparaben, potassium bromate, and brominated vegetable oil.[22][23][24]

Synonyms

Erythrosine B; Erythrosin B; Acid Red 51; C.I. 45430; FD&C Red No. 3; E127; 2',4',5',7'-Tetraiodo-3',6'-dihydroxy-spiro[3H-isobenzofuran-1,9'-xanthen]-3-one disodium salt; Tetraiodofluorescein sodium salt; Calcoid Erythrosine N; 2,4,5,7-Tetraiodo-3,6-dihydroxyxanthene-9-spiro-1'-3H-isobenzofuran-3'-one disodium salt; 2',4',5',7'-Tetraiodofluorescein, disodium salt; C.I. Food Red 14; Aizen Erythrosine; Tetraiodifluorescein, disodium salt; Spiro[isobenzofuran- 1(3H),9'-[9H]xanthen]-3-one, 3',6'-dihydroxy-2',4',5',7'-tetraiodo-, disodium salt.[25][26]

Classification

It is listed under the following number systems:

References

  1. [1]
    "Erythrosine B product description". The Chemical Book.
  2. [2]
    Lyday PA (2005). "Iodine and Iodine Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.
  3. [3]
    Lancashire RJ. "Food Color Additives". Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies. Archived from the original on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
  4. [4]
    Chequer FM, Venâncio VP, Bianchi ML, Antunes LM (October 2012). "Genotoxic and mutagenic effects of erythrosine B, a xanthene food dye, on HepG2 cells". Food and Chemical Toxicology. 50 (10): 3447–51. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2012.07.042. PMID 22847138.
  5. [5]
    Gurr E (2012). Synthetic Dyes in Biology, Medicine And Chemistry. elsevier. pp. 197, 198.
  6. [6]
    Dictionary of Analytical Reagents. CRC Press. 1993. p. 474. ISBN 978-0-412-35150-1.
  7. [7]
    Wood S, Metcalf D, Devine D, Robinson C (April 2006). "Erythrosine is a potential photosensitizer for the photodynamic therapy of oral plaque biofilms". The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 57 (4): 680–4. doi:10.1093/jac/dkl021. PMID 16464894.
  8. [8]
    Rogers DA, Brown RG, Brandeburg ZC, Ko EY, Hopkins MD, LeBlanc G, Lamar AA (October 2018). "N-Bromosuccinimide". ACS Omega. 3 (10): 12868–12877. doi:10.1021/acsomega.8b02320. PMC 6644467. PMID 31458011.
  9. [9]
    Day, Chris (16 January 2023). "The Almost-Forgotten Era Of Red Pistachios". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  10. [10]
    Chappell, Bill (15 October 2021). "'Sprinklegate' sinks a U.K. bakery's top sellers after topping is found to be illegal". Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  11. [11]
    Hernandez, Joe (10 October 2023). "California becomes the first state to ban 4 food additives linked to disease". NPR.
  12. [12]
    Magazine, Smithsonian; Osborne, Margaret (17 October 2023). "What to Know About California's New Law Banning Food Additives, Including Red Dye No. 3". Smithsonian Magazine.
  13. [13]
    "Color Additive Status List". Food & Drug Administration. December 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  14. [14]
    EFSA (2011). "Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of Erythrosine (E 127) as a food additive". EFSA Journal. 9 (1): 1854. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.1854. Erythrosine is exclusively authorised for use in cocktail and candied cherries, and Bigarreaux cherries
  15. [15]
    EFSA (2015). "Update of the Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of erythrosine in feed for cats, dogs, reptiles and ornamental fish". EFSA Journal. 13 (9): 4233. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4233. hdl:2434/559021.
  16. [16]
    EFSA (2019). "Safety of erythrosine for ornamental fish". EFSA Journal. 17 (5): 5699. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5699. PMC 7009114. PMID 32626322.
  17. [17]
    FDA: Red Dye's Reluctant Regulator; Partial Ban Points to Limitations of 30-Year-Old Delaney Clause, The Washington Post, February 7, 1990
  18. [18]
    Jennings AS, Schwartz SL, Balter NJ, Gardner D, Witorsch RJ (May 1990). "Effects of oral erythrosine (2',4',5',7'-tetraiodofluorescein) on the pituitary-thyroid axis in rats". Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 103 (3): 549–56. doi:10.1016/0041-008x(90)90327-q. PMID 2160137.
  19. [19]
    Lin GH, Brusick DJ (July 1986). "Mutagenicity studies on FD&C red No.3". Mutagenesis. 1 (4): 253–9. doi:10.1093/mutage/1.4.253. PMID 2457780.
  20. [20]
    "FDA Urged To Ban Some Food Dyes". CBS News. 3 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 August 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  21. [21]
    Two States Have Proposed Bans on Common Food Additives Linked to Health Concerns by Dana G. Smith, April 13, 2023 on the New York Times website. Last access 5/23/2023.
  22. [22]
    "California becomes first US state to ban 4 potentially harmful chemicals in food". CNN. 10 October 2023.
  23. [23]
    "AB-418 The California Food Safety Act". ca.gov.
  24. [24]
    California isn’t banning Skittles, but four additives will be removed by Marlene Cimons, Washington Post, Oct. 11, 2023. The article notes that Red dye No. 3, bromated vegetable oil, potassium bromate and propyl paraben all have been linked to risk of cancer and hyperactivity in children.
  25. [25]
    Erythrosin B Archived 2010-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, University of South Carolina
  26. [26]
    Erythrosine, chemicalland21.com
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