Quinoline yellow food colouring yellow - E 104

Quinoline Yellow E 104 – pure yellow shades for food

Quinoline Yellow (E 104) is an intense, synthetic yellow food colouring for food and cosmetics, producing clear, saturated yellow tones. It is available as a highly concentrated, water-soluble powder (at least 70%) and can be easily incorporated into water-based recipes. Quinoline Yellow is highly soluble in water but not soluble in fats.

Applications and uses

Quinoline Yellow (E 104) is approved in the EU as a food colouring and is suitable for a wide range of applications in food and cosmetics – ideal for industry professionals as well as keen amateur cooks and DIY makers. Typical food applications include fizzy drinks, sherbet powders, doughs, puddings, jellies, processed cheese, soups and sauces. Important: Maximum levels apply pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 232/2012 (available on EUR-Lex).

In cosmetics, Quinoline Yellow (CI 47005) is used in soaps, shower gels, bath additives as well as bath oils, salts and bombs to colour formulations or bath water intensely.

Application and dosage

Quinoline Yellow can be incorporated directly into doughs, drinks or water-based cosmetic preparations. Alternatively, the powder can be diluted in water to form a solution. Even a 1% solution provides intense colouring.

What is the difference between Quinoline Yellow (E 104) and Tartrazine (E 102)?

• Quinoline Yellow (E 104) belongs to the group of chinophthalone dyes; it produces a strong, more “pure” yellow and is often combined with blue to create green tones.
• Tartrazine (E 102) is a classic azo dye with a lemon yellow to orange-yellow shade and is accordingly used in many yellow to orange-coloured products.

In principle, both colourings can perform similar tasks, and Tartrazine can, for example, be replaced by a mixture of Quinoline Yellow (E 104) and Sunset Yellow (E 110), which shows that they are similar in colour but not identical. Tartrazine typically produces a “lemony” yellow, whereas Quinoline Yellow produces a rich, pure yellow.

Notes

Compliance with food law maximum levels is the responsibility of the manufacturer. There are many factors that can influence the result, such as concentration, acidity and temperature. Depending on the recipe (concentration, pH value, temperature), the colour perception may vary. Therefore, we recommend preliminary tests on a small scale. Quinoline Yellow should be stored dry, cool, protected from light and tightly closed.

Buy yellow food colouring – Benefits with DistrEbution

Buy yellow food colouring at DistrEbution and benefit from our quality: Our Quinoline Yellow (E 104) meets industry standards and delivers pure, intense yellow tones for food and cosmetics. Flexible order quantities perfectly suit large buyers or hobby users. Choose the pack size you need. Thanks to optimised logistics from Hamburg, you enjoy fast and reliable delivery throughout Germany and the EU.