Is INS 102 (Tartrazine) safe for babies?

INS 102 (Tartrazine) in kids' food

INS 102 is Tartrazine, a lemon-yellow synthetic food colour. Indian labels often print it only as a number — “Colour (INS 102)” or “Permitted synthetic food colour (102)”. Pikabee flags it in any food for a child under three.

What Pikabee flags, by age

0–6 monthsRED FLAG

Any food other than breast milk or infant formula is flagged at this age, because WHO advises only breast milk for the first 6 months. INS 102 is flagged too.

6–12 monthsRED FLAG

Flagged. The EU does not permit any of these six colours in food made for babies and young children.

12–36 monthsRED FLAG

Still flagged. The EU rule covers food for young children up to three, and in any other food the label must warn “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.

What it is

Tartrazine is a synthetic colour made for food. It gives sweets, jellies, ice lollies, soft drinks, flavoured milk, cake decorations and biscuit creams their bright shade. On Indian labels it is usually listed as a number after the word “colour”, so it is easy to miss.

It is one of six colours tested in a 2007 study from the University of Southampton, published in The Lancet, which linked a mix of these colours with more hyperactive behaviour in some children. After that study the EU made every food containing any of the six carry a warning on the label.

Names it goes by on labels

INS 102
E102
Colour (102)
Tartrazine
FD&C Yellow No. 5
CI 19140
Permitted synthetic food colour
Synthetic food colour

Why Pikabee flags it

EU food-additive law (Regulation 1333/2008) allows an additive in food for infants and young children only if Annex II lists it there, and no synthetic colour is listed. Every other food containing Tartrazine must carry the warning “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children” (Annex V). Pikabee flags it on every food label for a child under three.

How often parents find it

1 of 12

different baby food labels parents have scanned with Pikabee had INS 102, as of 4 November 2026.

Questions parents ask

Is INS 102 (Tartrazine) safe for a baby under 6 months?

Any food other than breast milk or infant formula is flagged at this age, because WHO advises only breast milk for the first 6 months. INS 102 is flagged too.

Is INS 102 (Tartrazine) safe for a 6 to 12 month old baby?

Flagged. The EU does not permit any of these six colours in food made for babies and young children. EU food-additive law (Regulation 1333/2008) allows an additive in food for infants and young children only if Annex II lists it there, and no synthetic colour is listed.

Is INS 102 (Tartrazine) safe for a 1 to 3 year old?

Still flagged. The EU rule covers food for young children up to three, and in any other food the label must warn “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.

What are the side effects of INS 102 in kids?

The EU requires foods with INS 102 to carry the warning “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”, after the 2007 Southampton study. It is not permitted in EU food for babies and young children. Pikabee flags it for every child under three.

Is INS 102 allowed in baby food?

Not in the EU, which permits no synthetic colours in food for babies and young children. Pikabee follows that rule and flags it wherever the food was made.

How do I spot INS 102 on a label?

Look for “colour”, “food colour” or “synthetic food colour” followed by a number in brackets. 102 is Tartrazine. Scan the ingredient list and Pikabee will name it for you.

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Sources

Last reviewed 6 November 2026.

Related ingredients

Talk to your pediatrician about anything concerning.