Iron oxides and hydroxides (E172)
- Food Caution
What is Iron oxides and hydroxides (E172)?
Iron oxides (E172) are mineral colours — red, yellow and black — used in sweets, cake decorations and supplement coatings. Very little is absorbed, and no harm to people has been shown. The caution is because EU food safety experts couldn't confirm their safety: lab tests on cells raised unresolved questions about very fine particles.
What is Yasno’s verdict on Iron oxides and hydroxides?
Yasno’s verdict on Iron oxides and hydroxides: Caution. Some evidence of a concern, it depends on the amount, or it is genuinely worth knowing. A Caution always has a specific, sourced reason.
Is Iron oxides and hydroxides allowed in the EU?
EU status of Iron oxides and hydroxides: Permitted as a food additive. Conditions and limits come from the regulation cited below. Yasno summarises them and does not replace the legal text.
| Where | EU | US |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Permitted as a food additive | Not recorded |
What else is it called?
- Iron oxides
Sources
- EU Food Additives Register — POL-FAD-IMPORT-3021, European Commission (DG SANTE), 2013
- Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of iron oxides and hydroxides (E 172) as food additives, European Food Safety Authority, 2015
- Food colours, European Food Safety Authority, 2026
Always check the physical label. Yasno describes evidence and regulatory status. It never says a product is free of an allergen or safe for you, and it is not medical advice.
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