Water-soluble artificial food dyes and colourings are widely used in the UK food and drink industry to enhance appearance and consistency. However, these additives are strictly regulated under UK and EU food laws. Food business operators are legally responsible for ensuring that any artificial colours used in their products do not exceed maximum legal limits and are correctly labelled.
Eurofins offers UKAS No. 0342 accredited food dye testing and colouring analysis to help food businesses across the UK meet compliance requirements. Whether you're launching a new product or reviewing an existing range, our service helps you demonstrate due diligence and meet UK food additive legislation.
All testing is carried out in our UK-based Wolverhampton laboratory using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD). This method delivers reliable and precise results for food colour compliance and regulatory assurance.
A comprehensive approach to food dye testing
Eurofins has developed validated methods for testing both liquid and solid matrices, across a range of textures and compositions including those with high starch or fat content. We employ tailored extraction techniques to ensure accurate results, even in complex products like mayonnaise, chocolate, and ready meals. This makes our food dye testing service suitable for a broad spectrum of product types.
Validated food and drink categories
- Sugar and gelatine confectionery
- Chocolate confectionery
- Vegan confectionery (including those made with modified starches)
- Soft drinks
- Dairy products (including milk and coffee-based drinks)
- Meat products
- Tinned fruit and vegetables
- Breakfast cereals
- Cakes and biscuits
- Rice and pasta
- Curries and ready (prepared) meals
Validated food colouring (dyes) E numbers
Our UKAS accredited artificial food colouring testing covers a wide range of restricted dyes, including
| E number |
Colour name |
| E129 |
Allura red |
| E123 |
Amaranth |
| E151 |
Brilliant black PN* |
| E133 |
Brilliant blue FCF |
| E127 |
Erythrosine* |
| E122 |
Carmoisine |
| E142 |
Green S |
| E132 |
Indigo carmine |
| E131 |
Patent Blue V |
| E124 |
Ponceau 4R |
| E104 |
Quinoline yellow |
| E128 |
Red 2G |
| E110 |
Sunset yellow FCF |
| E102 |
Tartrazine |
* Accredited testing soft drinks only.
Please note: this service does not apply to pure oils and fats, food colouring liquids or gels, or pure colour compounds.
UK & EU food dye colour regulations
In the UK and EU, only authorised food dyes with approved E numbers may be used, and strict legal limits apply depending on food category. Some colours, such as Tartrazine (E102) and Sunset Yellow (E110), also require additional warning statements on product labels. Although dye testing is not mandatory, it remains the responsibility of UK food businesses to ensure compliance. Accredited testing offers a reliable way to verify that food colouring levels remain within acceptable thresholds.
Risk management and compliance support
Our expert food consultancy team can help you interpret results, assess ingredient risks, advise on product labelling, and ensure your contaminant and residue control plans are effective. Whether you're reformulating, launching new products, we offer tailored advice to support your compliance and protect your brand.
Serving businesses & brands
Our food dye testing service is ideal for UK retailers, manufacturers, importers, and private label brands. Testing supports internal quality control, labelling accuracy, and compliance with UK and EU food additive regulations. Whether you're producing sweets, drinks, or ready meals, we help you confirm that artificial colours are used within legal limits.
For expert advice on which test codes and LOQ's applicable to your products, or for any other information, call us on +44 (0)845 604 6740 or submit an enquiry.
