Ponceau 4R
Ponceau 4R (E124) is a synthetic red azo dye used in sweets, desserts and soft drinks. Despite being sold as "Cochineal Red A" it has nothing to do with cochineal insects. It is one of the six colours the EU requires to carry a children's activity-and-attention warning.
Ponceau 4R is a water-soluble synthetic azo dye derived from petroleum-based precursors. Its alternative name, Cochineal Red A, describes the shade rather than the source — the insect-derived red is carmine (E120), which is a separate additive and is not vegan.
Following the 2007 Southampton study, EU Regulation 1333/2008 requires foods containing E124 to warn that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". EFSA re-evaluated it in 2009 and reduced its acceptable daily intake to 0.7 mg/kg body weight. It is not approved as a food colour in the United States.
On the label
- E-number
- E124
- INS number
- INS 124
- Functional class
- Colour
- Also known as
- Cochineal Red A · New Coccine · Colour 124 · INS 124
Who this affects
Caution
- Children: EU law requires a label warning that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
Frequently asked questions
Yes — it contains no animal-derived material. It is a synthetic azo dye made from petroleum-derived precursors, despite the name "Cochineal Red A". The name causes constant confusion: the insect-derived red is carmine (E120), a different additive entirely. The same applies to a vegetarian diet.
Yes — the additive itself contains no gluten. A gluten-free claim belongs to the finished product, though — check the pack, not the additive.
It is a synthetic azo dye made from petroleum-derived precursors, despite the name "Cochineal Red A" and contains no animal-derived material, so the additive itself is not inherently non-halal. Certification applies to a finished product rather than to an additive, so a halal certification mark on the pack is the authoritative signal.
Ponceau 4R is one of the six colours EU law requires to carry the warning that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". EFSA lowered its acceptable daily intake to 0.7 mg per kg of body weight when it re-evaluated the colour in 2009. Like other azo dyes it is associated with pseudo-allergic reactions in a small number of sensitive people.