Food additive · Color
Orange B
A synthetic dye once allowed only on hot dog and sausage casings. The FDA revoked its listing in 2026 because the use had been abandoned.
- 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 orange B costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
-
Not permitted in food somewhereRegulatory
The FDA revoked its listing in July 2026 because the authorized use had been abandoned (not certified for food since 1978). [1]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Authorization revoked | Listing for casings and surfaces of frankfurters and sausages revoked (91 FR 46276); effective September 8, 2026. | Sep 8, 2026 | [1] |
| European Union | Not permitted | Not on the EU Union list of food colors. | — | [2] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
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 (2)
- orange b
- fd and c orange b
Sources
-
“We have determined that the authorized use of Orange B has been abandoned, and we have concluded that this color additive regulation is outdated and unnecessary.”
federalregister.gov
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“E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”
eur-lex.europa.eu