Synthetic Food Colour - Allura Red AC Dye
Allura Red AC (also known as Allura Red, Red 40, INS 129 or E129) is a bright orangey-red synthetic food colour that manufacturers commonly supply as powder, liquid, and lake (aluminium lake) forms. It gives vivid, stable red–orange shades in low concentrations and is widely used because it blends well, gives consistent tinting, and produces vibrant results across many food systems — from clear beverages and confectionery to dairy and bakery applications.
History of the Allura Red AC Dye
Allura Red AC was developed as a synthetic azo dye to replace older red dyes that had safety or stability concerns. Chemically, it belongs to the class of azo dyes and is manufactured to food-grade specifications as either a soluble dye or an aluminium lake for applications where water solubility is not desired. It rose to prominence in the late 20th century as an economical, stable red colourant for mass-produced foods and beverages, largely replacing some earlier reds that were phased out for safety reasons. Even today, Allura Red AC is used in a range of products, including food or non-food products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and personal care items.
Applications of Allura Red AC Dye
Allura Red AC is a popular dye and is used by manufacturers in various applications. This vibrant and appealing hue provides an attractive look to the products, which gains the consumer's attraction and helps in growing the product's sales. In the food and beverages industry, this dye has a special space and is used in various products like soft drinks, candies, gelatin desserts, sauces, and more. When we talk about pharmaceuticals, Allura Red AC dye is used in syrups, tablets, and capsules to enhance their visual appearance. It also helps in the differentiation of the medicines, which reduces the chances of taking the wrong medicines. Plus, Allura Red AC is used in pet food that differentiates them, such as in poultry, swine, cattle, etc., and it also helps the manufacturers in product recognition to the customers.
Drawbacks of Using Low-Quality Allura Red AC Dye
Using low-quality colours on a commercial level can lead to several problems. These poor-quality colours provide inconsistent colours to the products which look faded. These colours might contain harmful impurities that pose health risks to the customers. Also, they do not fulfill all the safety standards properly which can result in product recalls and legal repercussions. These things damage the brand's reputation and reduce the consumer's trust in the product. To overcome these challenges, use high-quality Allura Red AC colour in your products because cheaper colour often comes back as wastage, customer complaints, and lost contracts. Plus, always require certificates of analysis (CoA), batch certification (where applicable), and supply traceability.
Regulatory Compliance on Allura Red AC Dye
Synthetic food colours, including Allura Red AC, need approval before being used in the products. Every country has its own governmental bodies that check the quality and safety of colours for human consumption and give approval. These governmental bodies include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the United States, the Food Safety Authority of India in India, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe. These authorities also ensure the quality of colours on products by conducting inspections, sampling, testing, and enforcement actions, from time to time.
Ajanta Food Colours is among the top leading producers of Allura Red AC in India with a legacy running for more than 75 years. It is also an extensive producer of high-quality colours like Allura Red AC, among others. At Ajanta Food Colours, safety as well as the consistency of our products are guaranteed to our esteemed customers by applying very advanced and high-class machines within our manufacturing plants toward ensuring the production of quality colours. Among the machineries are ICO OES for detecting heavy metals in both raw material and finished goods, high-performance liquid chromatography for organic impurity, UV spectrometry on analyzing content as well as strength for pigment, absorbance curve of colours, thin-layer chromatography, vacuum ovens for LOD test on humidity on product and colour matching machine together with other instruments to offer complete test raw materials and colours.
We received various awards and certificates for the quality of our colourants. Our company received various awards and certificates include the Arch of Europe Award, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Award, certifications from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), as well as Halal, Alcumus ISOQAR, Star-K Kosher, Food Safety System 22000 (FSSC 22000), and ISOQAR certifications, among others.
Conclusion
Allura Red AC is a versatile, economical red colour that remains a top choice for many food, beverage, confectionery, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. When you choose high-quality, food-grade Allura Red AC from Ajanta Food Colours, you get consistent colour performance, regulatory documentation, and technical support that protect your brand and speed production. For reliable colour strength, batch consistency, and export-ready documentation, Ajanta Food Colours is the perfect partner in colour!
Ready to test our Allura Red AC or discuss technical specifications for your product? Contact Ajanta Food Colours today — we’ll help you in picking the right form (powder, liquid, lake) of colour, shade, and provide sample testing and CoA for your approval!