Brilliant Blue FCF

Purpose

Brilliant Blue FCF is a food additive with an E number of 133. Additives with E numbers between 100 and 199 are generally used as food dyes.

Description:

Brilliant blue FCF is sometimes referred to as FD&C Blue No.1. It is an artifical dye produced from petroleum.  It is usually found as a red-blue powder. The chemical formula is C₃₇H₃₄N₂Na₂O₉S₃.

It is a triphenylmethane colour. Triphenylmethane dyes are composed of three hydrocarbon rings linked to a central carbon atom¹.

Common Uses:

Brilliant Blue FCF is commonly used in popsicles, soft drinks, jell-o, icings, and sometimes even canned peas. Besides food, it is also commonly found in mouthwash and shampoo.

Besides being used as a blue dye, it can used in combinations with other food colours. For example, it is often used with Tartrazine to produce a green colour.

Some specific examples of foods containing brilliant blue include:

• Berry Blue Jell-O
• Lime Jell-O
• Marvel Super Heros Popsicles
• Lemon Lime Unsweetened Kool Aid
• Breyers Oreo Cookies and Cream Mint Ice Cream
• Farrow’s Canned Peas

Health Issues / Side Effects:

However, when Brilliant Blue is used in hard candies and lollipops there is a risk that the dye can be absorbed through the tongue directly into the bloodstream. Once in the blood, it may inhibit mitochondrial respiration.³ My understanding is that this basically means that a cell’s ability to convert food to energy may be affected.

Notes:

In the U.S., brilliant blue can only be used in food once the FDA certifies the batch². Once certified, the FD&C Blue No.1 name can be used.

Sources

1. The Chemistry of Colors
2. Summary of Colour Additives for Use in the United States
3. International Programme on Chemical Safety – World Health Organization

Further Reading

1. Canadian Food Additive Dictionary