Quinoline Yellow WS is a mixture of

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

s derived from the dye Quinoline Yellow SS (spirit soluble). Owing to the presence of

sulfonate In organosulfur chemistry, a sulfonate is a salt, anion or ester of a sulfonic acid. Its formula is , containing the functional group , where R is typically an organyl group, amino group or a halogen atom. Sulfonates are the conjugate bases of ...

groups, the WS dyes are water-soluble (WS). It is a mixture of disulfonates (principally), monosulfonates and trisulfonates of 2-(2-quinolyl)indan-1,3-dione with a maximum absorption wavelength of 416 nm.^p. 119

Uses

Quinoline Yellow is used as a greenish yellow

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...

in certain countries, designated in Europe as the

E number E numbers, short for Europe numbers, are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods, such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly ...

E104. In the EU and Australia, Quinoline Yellow is permitted in beverages and is used in foods, like sauces, decorations, and coatings; Quinoline Yellow is not listed as a permitted food additive in Canada or the US, where it is permitted in medicines and cosmetics and is known as D&C Yellow 10. The

Codex Alimentarius The is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations relating to f ...

does not list it.

Health effects

Quinoline Yellow WS has not been associated with any significant long-term toxicity, is not genotoxic or carcinogenic and there is no evidence of adverse effects on reproduction or development.Abbey J, et at. Colorants. pp 459-465 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. Food colorants in general have been the subject of much scrutiny for their effect on health.

Possible cause of hyperactivity

Since the 1970s and the well-publicized advocacy of Benjamin Feingold, there has been public concern that food colorings may cause

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...

-like behavior in children.FDA
Background Document for the Food Advisory Committee: Certified Color Additives in Food and Possible Association with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: March 30-31, 2011
/ref> These concerns have led the U.S. FDA and other food safety authorities to regularly review the scientific literature, and led the UK FSA to commission a study by researchers at the

University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...

to assess the effect of a mixture of six food dyes (

Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye primarily used as a food coloring. It is also known as E number E102, C.I. 19140, FD&C Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake, Acid Yellow 23, Food Yellow 4, and trisodium 1-(4-sulfonatophenyl)-4-(4-sulfonato ...

, Allura Red,

Ponceau 4R Ponceau 4R (known by more than 100 synonyms,Abbey J, et at. Colorants. pp 459-465 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. including as C.I. 16255,FDA. 9 November 2008Food and ...

, Quinoline Yellow WS, Sunset Yellow FCF and Carmoisine (dubbed the "Southampton 6")) and

sodium benzoate Sodium benzoate also known as benzoate of soda is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, widely used as a food preservative (with an E number of E211) and a pickling agent. It appears as a white crystalline chemical with the formula C6H5COONa. Pro ...

(a preservative) on children in the general population, who consumed them in beverages; the study published in 2007.Sarah Chapman of Chapman Technologies on behalf of Food Standards Agency in Scotland. March 2011 uidelines on approaches to the replacement of Tartrazine, Allura Red, Ponceau 4R, Quinoline Yellow, Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine in food and beverages/ref> The study found "a possible link between the consumption of these artificial colours and a sodium benzoate preservative and increased hyperactivity" in the children; the advisory committee to the FSA that evaluated the study also determined that because of study limitations, the results could not be extrapolated to the general population, and further testing was recommended". The European regulatory community, with a stronger emphasis on the

precautionary principle The precautionary principle (or precautionary approach) is a broad epistemological, philosophical and legal approach to innovations with potential for causing harm when extensive scientific knowledge on the matter is lacking. It emphasizes cautio ...

, required labelling and temporarily reduced the

acceptable daily intake Acceptable daily intake or ADI is a measure of the amount of a specific substance (originally applied for a food additive, later also for a residue of a veterinary drug or pesticide) in food or drinking water that can be ingested (orally) daily ove ...

(ADI) for the food colorings; the UK FSA called for voluntary withdrawal of the colorings by food manufacturers. However, in 2009 the EFSA re-evaluated the data at hand and determined that "the available scientific evidence does not substantiate a link between the color additives and behavioral effects". On the basis of other evidence the EFSA also reduced the

(ADI) from 10 to 0.5 mg/kg. The US FDA did not make changes following the publication of the Southampton study, but following a citizen petition filed by the

Center for Science in the Public Interest The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a Washington, D.C.–based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group. History and funding CSPI is a consumer advocacy organization. Its focus is nutrition and health, food safety ...

in 2008, requesting the FDA ban several food additives, the FDA commenced a review of the available evidence, and still made no changes. No evidence supports broad claims that food coloring causes food intolerance and

-like behavior in children.Tomaska LD and Brooke-Taylor, S. ''Food Additives - General'' pp 449-454 in Encyclopedia of Food Safety, Vol 2: Hazards and Diseases. Eds, Motarjemi Y et al. Academic Press, 2013. It is possible that certain food coloring may act as a trigger in those who are genetically predisposed, but the evidence is weak.

References

External links

freepatentsonline.com - Process for purification of quinoline yellow

efsa.europa.eu - EFSA updates safety advice on six food colours 091112
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinoline Yellow Ws Quinoline dyes Food colorings 1,3-Indandiones E-number additives