Amaranth FD C Red

Collins TFX, McLaughlin J, Gray GC (1972) Teratology studies on food colorings. Part 1 embryo toxicity of Amaranth (FD C Red no. 2) in rats. Food Cosmet Toxicol... 

Amaranth, bordeaux S, FD C red 2 123 16185 A Trisodium-2-hydroxyl-l-(4-sulfo-l-naphthylazo)-naphthalene-3,6-disulfonate C2oHnN2Na3010S3 604.48 519- 525... 

FD C red dye no. 2 is known as amaranth outside the United States. Over the years the originally permitted fat-soluble dyes have been removed from the list of approved dyes, and only water-soluble colors remain on the approved list. 

The average per capita consumption of food colors is about 50 mg per day. Food colors have been suspect as additives for many years, resulting in many deletions from the approved list. An example is the removal of FD C red no. 2 or amaranth in 1976. In the United States, it was replaced by FD C red no. 40. The removal from the approved list was based on the observation of reproductive problems in test animals that consumed amaranth at levels close to the ADI. As a consequence, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) reduced the ADI to 0.75 mg/kg body weight from 1.5 mg/kg. Other countries, including Canada, have not delisted amaranth. 

Synonyms Amaranth FD C No. 2 Whortleberry red 3-Hydroxy-4-[(4-sulfo-l-naphthalenyl) azo]-2,7-naphthalenedisulfonic acid trisodium salt Chemical/Pharmaceutical/Other Class Azo dye Chemical Formula 20-HnN2O10S3Na3... 

Stavric, B., Klassen, R., and Miles, W. (1979) Gas-liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of alpha- and beta-naphthylamines in FD C Red No. 2 (amaranth). J. Assoc. Off Anal. Chem., 62, 1020-1026. 

The anti-oxidant 2,5-di-t-butylhydroquinone (DBH) retards weight gain when fed as 0.1-0.2% of a semipurified diet, but addition of similar levels of DBH to a stock diet is without effect. This effect was observed in both Holtzman and Long-Evans rats (13) (Table II). Amaranth (FD and C Red No. 2) is toxic to rats when fed as 5% of a semipurified diet. No rats fed this diet lived as long as 21 days. When the diet also contained 10% pectin, cellulose or alfalfa, however, the dye was not toxic and weight gain was optimum (14). Similar effects of semipurified and commercial diets were observed in Sprague-Dawley rats fed 5% Tartrazine (FD and C Yellow No. 5) or Sunset Yellow FCF (FD and C Yellow No. 6) (15). 

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