Tartrazine (FD&C Yellow No. 5) Supplier South Africa

What Is Tartrazine?

Tartrazine (CI 19140, FD&C Yellow No. 5, E102) is a synthetic azo dye that imparts a vivid lemon-yellow to orange-yellow colour to solutions and products. It is highly water-soluble and produces intense, stable colour at very low concentrations. Tartrazine is one of the most widely approved synthetic food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical colourants globally, being permitted in South Africa, the EU (as E102), the US (as FD&C Yellow No. 5), and most other regulated markets. It is stable to light, heat, and a wide pH range, making it reliable in processed products.

Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Colouring

In cosmetics, tartrazine is used to colour hair shampoos (yellow and green formulations), bath bombs and bath salts, body washes, shower gels, liquid soaps, and other rinse-off personal care products to produce yellow, green (in combination with blue dye), or amber hues. Its bright, clean yellow is attractive in product marketing. In pharmaceutical oral solid dosage forms (tablets, capsules, sugar coatings), tartrazine imparts yellow colouring to differentiate products by colour coding. Labelling requirements apply in both the EU (E102 with “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children” advisory) and the US (FD&C Yellow No. 5 declaration required on food and drug labels for consumers with tartrazine sensitivity).

Food and Regulatory Considerations

In food, tartrazine is used to colour carbonated beverages, confectionery, jelly, and processed foods where a yellow or green (with Brilliant Blue) colour is desired. It is the most widely used synthetic yellow food dye globally. Regulatory compliance documentation, including a certificate of analysis and dye content specification, is provided with supply. Terracore Chemicals supplies tartrazine in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food grades for South African manufacturers.