FD & C Yellow No. 6 is principally the disodium salt of 6-hydroxy5-[(4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-napthalenesulfonic acid. The trisodiumsalt of 3-hydroxy-4-[(4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2,7-napthal-enedisul- fonic acid may be added in small amounts.
The colorant is an orange powder that dissolves in water to give a solution yellow-orange at neutrality or in acid and red-brown in base. When dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid, it yields an orange solution that turns yellow when diluted with water. It is slightly soluble in 95% ethanol.
FD & C Yellow No. 6 is used in various food items including dessert powders, cereals, bakery goods, snack foods, confectionery products, maraschino cherries, sausage, ice cream, sherbet, dairy products, and beverages. It is also used in cosmetics, ingested and externally applied drugs and dietary supplements.1
.
orange-red crystals or powder
Sunset Yellow FCF (FD&C Yellow #6) is a colorant. It has good stability to changes in ph, showing no appreciable change at ph 3–8. It has excellent solubility in water with a solubility of 19 g in 100 ml at 25°c. It has moderate stability to light, fair stability to oxidation, good stability to heat, and shows appreciable change in 10% sugar systems. It has a reddishyellow hue and has good tinctorial strength. It has moderate compatibility with food components and is used in beverages, bakery goods, dessert confections, and ice cream.
Provisionally listed for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. Sunset Yellow is useful in fermented foods which must be heat treated. It may be found in orange sodas, orange jelly, marzipan, Swiss rolls,
apricot jam, citrus marmalade, lemon curd, sweets, hot chocolate mix and packet soups, trifle mix, breadcrumbs, snack chips, shelf fresh noodles, cheese sauce mixes.
Sunset Yellow is a sulfonated ver
sion of Sudan I, a possible carcinogen. Sunset Yellow itself may be responsible for causing an allergic reaction in people with an aspirin intolerance, resulting in various symptoms, including gastric
upset, diarrhea, vomiting, nettle rash (urticaria), swelling of the skin (angioedema) and migraines.
4-Aminobenzenesulfonic aciddiazo, and 6-Hydroxynaphthalene-2-sulfonic acidcoupling.
ChEBI: Sunset Yellow FCF is an organic molecular entity.
Orange-red crystals or a red powder.
Azo dyes can be explosive when suspended in air at specific concentrations. Soluble in water.
Food Yellow 3 is an azo compound. Azo, diazo, azido compounds can detonate. This applies in particular to organic azides that have been sensitized by the addition of metal salts or strong acids. Toxic gases are formed by mixing materials of this class with acids, aldehydes, amides, carbamates, cyanides, inorganic fluorides, halogenated organics, isocyanates, ketones, metals, nitrides, peroxides, phenols, epoxides, acyl halides, and strong oxidizing or reducing agents. Flammable gases are formed by mixing materials in this group with alkali metals. Explosive combination can occur with strong oxidizing agents, metal salts, peroxides, and sulfides.
SYMPTOMS: It can cause enlargement of the caecum and weight loss.
Flash point data for Food Yellow 3 are not available; however, Food Yellow 3 is probably combustible.
Flammability and Explosibility
Non flammable
Low toxicity by
ingestion and intraperitoneal routes.
Mutation data reported. When heated to
decomposition it emits very toxic fumes of
NOx and SOx.
Properties and Applications
red light yellow to colourful yellow orange. Soluble in water for yellow light red clarified solution, slightly soluble in ethanol, insoluble in grease. The strong sulfuric acid in red for orange, yellow as diluted. Dye with strong hydrochloric acid solution of color; Add thick sodium hydroxide solution is palm red light. Has the characteristics of acid dyes, can make the animal fiber direct shading.
