Quinoline Yellow
Decode Label flags Quinoline Yellow as a moderate concern in both food and personal care (artificial additive). It appears in 3 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.3%).
The concern
Synthetic colour - EU requires a child-activity warning on food packs
Quinoline Yellow (E104) is a synthetic colour and one of the six Southampton-study colours. In food the EU requires the child-activity warning. It is not an approved food colour in the United States.
Most relevant to
Cited authority
EU Regulation 1333/2008 Annex V (mandatory warning: "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children"); McCann et al., Lancet 2007; EFSA re-evaluation of food colours (2009)
Linked sources: EU-CosIng → EU →
How common it is in this catalogue
Measured across every product Decode Label has analysed — not estimated, and not taken from anyone else's dataset.
By category
Regulatory position
From the published regulation itself. Each row links to its source.
| Authority | Status | Reference | Scope / limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU-CosIng | Restricted | Annex III 326 | Non-oxidative hair dye products max 0,5 % | View → |
Hazard classification
Identity
- Canonical name
- Quinoline Yellow
- CAS number
- 8004-92-0
- EC number
- 305-897-5
- E number
- E104
- INS number
- 104
Also appears on labels as
Questions
Is Quinoline Yellow safe?
The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 permits Quinoline Yellow in cosmetics only within set limits (Annex III, entry 326). Why it is flagged: Synthetic colour - EU requires a child-activity warning on food packs. Decode Label treats it as a moderate concern in both food and personal care. It appears in 3 of the 912 published products we have analysed (0.3%).
How common is Quinoline Yellow in Indian packaged products?
Decode Label found Quinoline Yellow in 3 of 912 published products (0.3%), most often in Bath & Body.
Which authorities have classified Quinoline Yellow?
EU — EU Reg. 1333/2008 Annex V — mandatory warning.
Is Quinoline Yellow restricted or banned anywhere?
Under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 (CosIng), Quinoline Yellow has 1 restricted entry. Each is shown with its annex reference and a link to the source in the Regulatory position table.
Who should be most careful with Quinoline Yellow?
Children; People prone to allergies.
Products containing Quinoline Yellow
3 published products, each with its own full analysis.
Related ingredients
Other entries in the register with the same kind of concern.
Method and limits
- Prevalence counts published products whose decoded ingredient list matches this substance or one of its label synonyms, using the same matching the score itself uses. It describes our catalogue of 912 products, not the Indian market as a whole.
- Presence is not dose. An ingredient list gives order, not quantity, unless the pack declares a percentage. Nothing here estimates how much of this substance any product contains.
- A classification is not a verdict on a product. An agency classifies a substance under defined conditions of exposure; whether that matters in a given food or cosmetic depends on route, concentration and use.
- Last updated. This register entry was last changed on 3 November 2026.
- Corrections. Every figure here is reproducible from the sources named. If something is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and say what changed.