Quinoline Yellow WS is a mixture of

organic compound In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...

s derived from the dye

Quinoline Yellow SS Quinoline Yellow SS is a bright yellow dye with green shade. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. Quinoline yellow is representative of a large class of quinophthalone pigments. It is suggested that quinoline yello ...

(spirit soluble). Owing to the presence of

sulfonate In organosulfur chemistry, a sulfonate is a salt or ester of a sulfonic acid. It contains the functional group , where R is an organic group. Sulfonates are the conjugate bases of sulfonic acids. Sulfonates are generally stable in water, non-o ...

groups, the WS dyes are water-soluble (WS). It is a mixture of disulfonates (principally), monosulfonates and trisulfonates of 2-(2-quinolyl)indan-1,3-dione with a maximum absorption wavelength of 416 nm.^p. 119

Uses

Quinoline Yellow is used as a greenish yellow food additive in certain countries, designated in Europe as the E number E104. In the EU and Australia, Quinoline Yellow is permitted in beverages and is used in foods, like sauces, decorations, and coatings; Quinoline Yellow is not listed as a permitted food additive in Canada or the US, where it is permitted in medicines and cosmetics and is known as D&C Yellow 10. The Codex Alimentarius does not list it.

Health effects

Quinoline Yellow WS has not been associated with any significant long-term toxicity, is not genotoxic or carcinogenic and there is no evidence of adverse effects on reproduction or development.Abbey J, et at. Colorants. pp 459-465 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. Food colorants in general have been the subject of much scrutiny for their effect on health.

Possible cause of hyperactivity

Since the 1970s and the well-publicized advocacy of

Benjamin Feingold Benjamin F. Feingold (born June 15, 1899 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; died, March 23, 1982) was a pediatric allergist from California who proposed in 1973 that salicylates, artificial colors, and artificial flavors cause hyperactivity in children. H ...

, there has been public concern that food colorings may cause ADHD-like behavior in children.FDA
Background Document for the Food Advisory Committee: Certified Color Additives in Food and Possible Association with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: March 30-31, 2011
/ref> These concerns have led the U.S. FDA and other food safety authorities to regularly review the scientific literature, and led the UK FSA to commission a study by researchers at the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

to assess the effect of a mixture of six food dyes (

Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye primarily used as a food coloring. It is also known as E number E102, C.I. 19140, FD&C Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake, Acid Yellow 23, Food Yellow 4, and trisodium 1-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-4-(4-sulfonatop ...

Allura Red Allura Red AC is a red azo dye that goes by several names, including FD&C Red 40. It is used as a food dye and has the E number E129. It is usually supplied as its red sodium salt, but can also be used as the calcium and potassium salts. The ...

Ponceau 4R Ponceau 4R (known by more than 100 synonyms,Abbey J, et at. Colorants. pp 459-465 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. including as C.I. 16255,FDA. 9 November 2008Food and ...

, Quinoline Yellow WS,

Sunset Yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF (also known as orange yellow S, or C.I. 15985) is a petroleum-derived orange azo dye with a pH dependent maximum absorption at about 480 nm at pH 1 and 443 nm at pH 13 with a shoulder at 500 nm. When added to f ...

and

Carmoisine Azorubine is an azo dye consisting of two naphthalene subunits. It is a red solid. It is mainly used in foods that are heat-treated after fermentation. It has E number E122. Uses In the US, this color was listed in 1939 as FD&C Red No. 10 for ...

(dubbed the "Southampton 6")) and

sodium benzoate Sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, widely used as a food preservative (with an E number of E211) and a pickling agent. It appears as a white crystalline chemical with the formula C6H5COONa. Production Sodium benzoate is commo ...

(a preservative) on children in the general population, who consumed them in beverages; the study published in 2007.Sarah Chapman of Chapman Technologies on behalf of Food Standards Agency in Scotland. March 2011 uidelines on approaches to the replacement of Tartrazine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine in food and beverages/ref> The study found "a possible link between the consumption of these artificial colours and a sodium benzoate preservative and increased hyperactivity" in the children; the advisory committee to the FSA that evaluated the study also determined that because of study limitations, the results could not be extrapolated to the general population, and further testing was recommended". The European regulatory community, with a stronger emphasis on the

precautionary principle The precautionary principle (or precautionary approach) is a broad epistemological, philosophical and legal approach to innovations with potential for causing harm when extensive scientific knowledge on the matter is lacking. It emphasizes caut ...

, required labelling and temporarily reduced the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for the food colorings; the UK FSA called for voluntary withdrawal of the colorings by food manufacturers. However, in 2009 the EFSA re-evaluated the data at hand and determined that "the available scientific evidence does not substantiate a link between the color additives and behavioral effects". On the basis of other evidence the EFSA also reduced the acceptable daily intake (ADI) from 10 to 0.5 mg/kg. The US FDA did not make changes following the publication of the Southampton study, but following a citizen petition filed by the

Center for Science in the Public Interest The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group that advocates for safer and healthier foods. History and funding CSPI is a consumer advocacy organization. Its ...

in 2008, requesting the FDA ban several food additives, the FDA commenced a review of the available evidence, and still made no changes. No evidence supports broad claims that food coloring causes

food intolerance Food intolerance is a detrimental reaction, often delayed, to a food, beverage, food additive, or compound found in foods that produces symptoms in one or more body organs and systems, but generally refers to reactions other than food allergy. Fo ...

and ADHD-like behavior in children.Tomaska LD and Brooke-Taylor, S. ''Food Additives - General'' pp 449-454 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. It is possible that certain food coloring may act as a trigger in those who are genetically predisposed, but the evidence is weak.

References

External links

freepatentsonline.com - Process for purification of quinoline yellow

efsa.europa.eu - EFSA updates safety advice on six food colours 091112
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinoline Yellow Ws Quinoline dyes Food colorings Indandiones E-number additives