Foods Containing E104 (Quinoline Yellow)
E104 (Quinoline Yellow) is a synthetic quinoline dye, used as a food colouring to help add or restore colour to foods and drinks. Here's where you're most likely to find it on food labels.
Common foods that contain E104
E104 is used across sweets, soft drinks, desserts, ice cream, sauces and snacks. The foods where it appears most often include:
- Sweets
- Soft drinks
- Desserts
- Ice cream
- Sauces and snacks
Exact usage varies by brand and recipe — the only way to know for certain whether a specific product contains E104 is to check its ingredients list, where it must be declared by law, either as "E104" or as "Quinoline Yellow".
How to spot E104 on a label
In the UK and EU, additives must appear in the ingredients list with their function and either their E-number or full name — for example "food colourings: E104" or "food colourings: quinoline yellow". In the US the E-number system isn't used, so look for the full name "Quinoline Yellow" instead.
Should you avoid foods containing E104?
E104 is approved for use in the EU, UK and US at regulated levels, but some concerns or conditions apply. Quinoline Yellow is one of the 'Southampton Six' colours linked to hyperactivity in some children: in the EU and UK, foods containing it must carry the warning 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. For most people, normal dietary exposure to E104 is not considered harmful.
Full guide to E104: safety, vegan and halal status →
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Additive data sourced from Open Food Facts (ODbL licence) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).