Food additive · Color
Blue 1
- E-number
- E133
- CAS
- 3844-45-9
A synthetic blue dye (brilliant blue FCF) used in candy, drinks, frosting and cereals.
- Food additive
- Synthetic dye
- Color (added)
- Petroleum-derived dye
- Ultra-processing marker
- Expert review pending
Concern level
Strong evidence of harm at high intake, emerging evidence of harm, or a common allergen or irritant. The concern level sets how many points Blue 1 costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
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Being phased outRegulatory
The FDA is working with industry to remove six petroleum-based dyes from US food by the end of 2027; California bans them in school meals from December 31, 2027. [1][2]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Rules around the world
| Where | Status | Details | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | Permitted | Permitted food color (E 133) with use limits. | — | [3] |
| United States | Permitted | Listed for use in food. In April 2025 the FDA asked industry to phase petroleum-based dyes out of food; its pledge tracker targets the end of 2027. | — | [4] |
| Canada | Permitted | On Health Canada's List of Permitted Food Colours, with conditions of use. | — | [5] |
| California (US) | Restricted | Not allowed in California school meals or school-sold foods from December 31, 2027 (AB 2316). | From Dec 31, 2027 | [2] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
Popular products that list Blue 1
352 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list Blue 1. The 12 most scanned:
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Trail Mix Kirkland Signature · 57 g (2 oz) Score 19 out of 100 Bad -
Spearmint Sugarfree Gum Extra · 2.7 g Score 32 out of 100 Poor -
Extra Gum Chomps · 15 sticks Score 31 out of 100 Poor -
Trail Mix Kirkland · 1.81 kg Score 24 out of 100 Poor -
Doritos Cool Ranch Flavored Tortilla Chips Frito Lay · 9.25 oz Score 19 out of 100 Bad -
Fruit Snacks Welch's · 4.5 lb (2043 g) Score 10 out of 100 Bad -
Doritos Cool Ranch flavored Doritos Tortilla Chips · 1 oz (28.3 g) Score 19 out of 100 Bad -
Cool Ranch Flavor Doritos Doritos · 250 g Score 19 out of 100 Bad -
CARB BALANCE Spinach Herb Mission · 12 oz Score 26 out of 100 Poor -
Garden Spinach Herb Wraps Mission · 15 oz Score 19 out of 100 Bad -
Lucky Charms Lucky Charms · 297 g Score 7 out of 100 Bad -
Lucky Charms General Mills · 18.6 oz Score 7 out of 100 Bad
Diets and allergens
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (25)
- e133
- blue1
- blue 1
- blue no 1
- blue dye 1
- color e133
- blue 1 lake
- colour e133
- color blue 1
- colours e133
- bleu brillant
- brilliant blue
- fd and c blue 1
- bleu brillant fcf
- color blue 1 lake
- brilliant blue fcf
- color added blue 1
- fd and c blue no 1
- blue 1 aluminum lake
- fd and c blue 1 lake
- color fd and c blue 1
- colour brilliant blue
- colour brilliant blue fcf
- color fd and c blue 1 lake
- fd and c blue no 1 aluminum lake
Sources
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Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes
“FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—by the end of 2027.”
fda.gov
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California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition
“beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
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“E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”
eur-lex.europa.eu
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ecfr.gov
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3. List of Permitted Food Colours: Brilliant Blue FCF (item B.2)
“If used singly, the amount not to exceed 100 ppm. If used in any combination with allura red, amaranth, erythrosine, fast green FCF, indigotine, sunset yellow FCF or tartrazine, the total combined amount not to exceed 300 ppm”
canada.ca