YenzoWhat is E175 (gold)?
It is gold metal, classed as a colour.
E175Gold
E175 is metallic gold as thin leaf or powder. In food it is used only for decoration, for example gold leaf on cakes and chocolates or in drinks.
- Code
- E175 · INS 175
- Group
- Colour
In VietnamNot on Vietnam's list of permitted additivesNot on Vietnam's list of permitted additives (Circular 24/2019); it may be used only in a product whose declaration is registered with the Vietnam Food Administration
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalelow?Based on the Open Food Facts additives taxonomy
How E175 appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, colour (175), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
colour (175)colour 175E175INS 175
Questions about gold
Is gold (E175) harmful?
In 2016 EFSA considered the data on gold (E 175) too limited to perform a risk assessment, with no safety-test data available. Because elemental gold has very low solubility, EFSA expected its systemic availability and systemic effects to be low. Exposure estimates reached up to 1.32 µg/kg body weight per day in the maximum-level scenario and 0.33 µg/kg in the refined scenario.
Is gold permitted in Vietnam?
Gold (INS 175) is not listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, nor in Appendix 2B.
Other colours
E170Calcium carbonatesvery lowE171Titanium dioxidemoderateE172Iron oxides and iron hydroxidesvery lowE173AluminiumhighE174SilverlowE180Litholrubine BKhigh
See all colours →Updated 21 October 2026
Sources (3)
- Open Food Facts additives taxonomy (Yenzo's table cites no EFSA opinion for this code). Open Food Facts additives taxonomy, https://github.com/openfoodfacts/openfoodfacts-server/blob/main/taxonomies/additives.txt (entry en:e175)
- Thông tư 24/2019/TT-BYT (văn bản hợp nhất 09/VBHN-BYT), Phụ lục 1
- EFSA Journal (2016). Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of gold (E 175) as a food additive