Citrus Red 2, Citrus Red No. 2, C.I. Solvent Red 80, or C.I. 12156 is an artificial

dye Juan de Guillebon, better known by his stage name DyE, is a French musician. He is known for the music video of the single "Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical ele ...

. As a

food dye Food coloring, color additive or colorant is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or beverages. Colorants can be supplied as liquids, powders, gels, or pastes. Food coloring is commonly used in commercial ...

, it has been permitted by the US

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) since 1956 to color the skin of oranges. Citrus Red 2 is listed by the

International Agency for Research on Cancer The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC; ) is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organization of the United Nations. Its role is to conduct and coordinate research into the causes of cancer. It also cance ...

(IARC) as a group 2B carcinogen, a substance "possibly carcinogenic to humans".

Properties

Citrus Red 2 is an orange to yellow solid or a dark red powder with a melting point of 156 °C. It is not soluble in water, but is readily soluble in many organic solvents.

Use

In the United States, Citrus Red 2 has sometimes been used to color orange peels, subject to a limit of 2 milligrams per kilogram of oranges. It is permitted when the fruit is intended to be eaten, but not when the fruit is intended for processing; for example, to manufacture orange juice. On April 22, 2025, the FDA announced plans to phase out synthetic food dyes by the end of 2026. This decision, led by FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, was driven by growing concerns over the potential health risks associated with synthetic food dyes. As part of this phase-out, the FDA revealed its intention to revoke approval for Citrus Red 2, along with another restricted-use dye,

Orange B Orange B is a food dye from the azo dye group. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use only in hot dog and sausage casings or surfaces, up to 150 parts per million of the finish ...

References

{{reflist Food colorings Azo dyes Solvent dyes IARC Group 2B carcinogens