Ingredient

Why Yellow 5 is Bad for You

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Yellow 5, or Tartrazine, is a synthetic lemon-yellow azo dye primarily used as a food coloring. It is manufactured from petroleum and is one of the oldest and most widely used synthetic food dyes.

Why it’s in your food

The manufacturer’s reason.

Manufacturers use Yellow 5 to give foods a bright, appealing yellow color, enhance their visual consistency, and make products more attractive to consumers.

Community scan data

How it shows up in the wild.

Found in 3 productswe’ve analyzed.

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Rated Clean

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Caution

3

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Where to find it

Products containing Yellow 5.

3 products in our database.

POST CONSUMER BRANDS, LLC

Pebbles Cereal

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Full of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives!

CEREAL15/23 clean · Apr 15, 2026

Unknown

Cereal

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Artificial colors and enriched flour are no good!

CEREAL14/23 clean · Apr 20, 2026

Mondelez Global LLC

Sour Patch Kids

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Artificial colors and flavors, corn syrup!

CANDY4/13 clean · Apr 20, 2026

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Where does Yellow 5 come from?▾
Yellow 5 is a synthetic chemical compound, meaning it's created in a lab through industrial processes. It is derived from petroleum and is not found naturally in any plants or animals, unlike pigments from ingredients like saffron or turmeric.
In what common food products would I find Yellow 5?▾
Yellow 5 is frequently found in beverages like soft drinks and sports drinks, candies, snack foods, cereals, instant puddings, and even some medications. It provides a vibrant yellow hue that is very stable.
Would Nonna consider Yellow 5 a traditional ingredient?▾
Nonna would definitely not recognize Yellow 5. She would use natural ingredients like saffron or egg yolks to achieve a yellow color in her dishes. A synthetic, petroleum-based dye for food would be entirely outside of her culinary experience.

Check your own pantry.

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