Due to the toxicity of certain food colourings and the extremely low safe tolerance levels, a number of colours are prohibited from sale directly to the general public. An extract of the regulations and the colours concerned are listed below.

 

The Colours in Food Regulations 1995 (Extract)

Sale of colours and food containing colours
7.—(1) No person shall sell any colour for use in or on food unless such colour is a permitted colour.

(2) No person shall sell directly to the consumer any colour other than a specified permitted colour.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2) above, a "specified permitted colour" shall be any permitted colour other than:

(a) E 123 Amaranth
(b) E 127 Erythrosine
(c) E 128 Red 2G
(d) E 154 Brown FK
(e) E 160b Annatto, bixin, norbixin
(f) E 161g Canthaxanthin
(g) E 173 Aluminium
(h) E 180 Litholrubine BK

(4) No person shall sell any food having in it or on it any added colour other than a permitted colour that has been used in or on that food without contravening any of the provisions of regulations 3, 4, 5 and 6.