page_title: Brilliant Blue FCF
section_title: Health and safety
hierarchical_section_title: Brilliant Blue FCF / Health and safety
caption_attribution_description: Photograph of blue Nestlé Smarties as sold in the UK, before (top, dating from 2006) and after (2008, bottom) change to natural colours. Background is 1mm grid.
context_page_description: Brilliant Blue FCF is a synthetic organic compound used primarily as a blue colorant for processed foods, medications, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. It is classified as a triarylmethane dye and is known under various names, such as FD&C Blue No. 1 or Acid Blue 9. It is denoted by E number E133 and has a color index of 42090. It has the appearance of a blue powder and is soluble in water and glycerol, with a maximum absorption at about 628 nanometers. It is one of the oldest FDA-approved color additives and is generally considered nontoxic and safe.
context_section_description: The dye is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and 95% of the ingested dye can be found in the feces.
  When applied to the tongue or shaved skin, Brilliant Blue FCF can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
  Due to its nontoxic properties, Brilliant Blue FCF has been used as a biological stain. When dissolved in an acidic medium, this dye has been used to stain cell walls, bacteria, and fungal cells. The dye does not inhibit the growth of any of these species.
  For similar reasons, Brilliant Blue FCF is also being utilized in hemostatic medical devices, most notably the HEMOPATCH—designed to be placed on bleeding tissues and coagulate the blood. A low concentration of Brilliant Blue FCF is placed on the backside of the HEMOPATCH at 1 cm increments, allowing surgeons to cut precisely and indicate the side of the HEMOPATCH that is an active hemostatic agent for correct placement.
  Brilliant Blue FCF is an approved food colorant and pharmacologically inactive substance for drug formulations in the EU and the United States. It is also legal in other countries. It has the capacity for inducing allergic reactions in individuals with pre-existing moderate asthma. In 2003, the U.S. FDA issued a public health advisory to warn health care providers of the potential toxicity of this synthetic dye in enteral feeding solutions.
  The following legal limits apply in the EU (E 131) and other countries: 150–300 mg/kg depending on the type of food. Safety limit for foods and drugs: 0.1 mg/day per kg body weight.
  The ADI for Brilliant Blue FCF is 6 mg/kg.
caption: In the United Kingdom, Smarties chocolates were colored with Brilliant Blue FCF (top) until 2008, later being replaced with a natural spirulina coloring (bottom).
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