E123Amaranth

E123 is amaranth, a synthetic purple-red azo colour. It only shares its name with the amaranth plant and is not made from it.

Did you know? Under Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, the colour E 123 and mixtures of it may not be sold directly to the consumer.

Code: E123 · INS 123
Group: Colour

In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1

Risk level on the Yenzo Scalemoderate?Based on EFSA's scientific assessment, 2010

The evaluators disagree. FDA (1976) withdrew it from the list of substances permitted in food, while EFSA (2010) keeps an ADI for it.

How E123 appears on labels

IngredientsIllustrative example

Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, colour (123), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).

colour (123)colour 123E123INS 123On Vietnamese labels: Amaranth

Amaranth in food

Flavoured milk drinks and fermented milk Processed and canned fish and seafood

Questions about amaranth

What is E123 (amaranth)?

It is amaranth, a synthetic reddish-purple azo colour.

Is amaranth harmful?

In 2010 EFSA set an ADI of 0.15 mg/kg body weight per day for amaranth (E 123) and noted that adult intake at the high level could then exceed it. In 2013 EFSA recalculated with new use data: adult intake at the 95th percentile was about 15 times lower than in the 2010 assessment, and the refined estimates for children, adults and the elderly were all below the ADI.

Is E123 permitted in Vietnam?

Yes. Amaranth (INS 123) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, with the function colour.

Other colours

E120Cochineal, carminic acid, carmineslow E121Citrus red 2high E122Azorubine / carmoisinemoderate E124Ponceau 4Rmoderate E125Ponceau SX (scarlet GN)high E126Ponceau 6Rhigh

See all colours →

Updated 21 October 2026

How Yenzo scores

Sources (4)

Information only, not medical advice. The risk level is the additive's class in Yenzo's open scoring method, based on the cited source.