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 * Brilliant Blue FCF**, also known under commercial names, is a [|colorant] for foods and other substances to induce a color change. It is denoted by [|E number] **E133** and has a [|color index] of 42090. It has the appearance of a reddish-blue powder. It is soluble in water, and the solution has a maximum absorption at about 628 [|nanometer].

**Chemistry**

It is a [|synthetic] [|dye] produced using [|aromatic hydrocarbons] from [|petroleum]. [| It can be combined with] [|tartrazine] (E102) to produce various shades of green. It is usually a disodium salt. The diammonium salt has CAS number [ [|2650-18-2]  ]. Calcium and potassium salts are also permitted. It can also appear as an aluminium [|lake]. The chemical formation is C 37H 34N 2Na 2O 9S 3. The dye is poorly absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract and 95% of the ingested dye can be found in the feces. It also reacts with certain bile pigments to form green [|feces].

**Applications** As a blue color, Brilliant Blue FCF is often found in [|ice cream], [|canned] processed [|peas], [|dairy] products, sweets and drinks. It is also used in [|soaps], [|shampoos], [|mouthwash] and other hygiene and cosmetics applications. In soil science, Brilliant Blue is applied in tracing studies to visualize infiltration and water distribution in the soil.

**Healthy and Safety**

Brilliant Blue FCF has previously been banned in [|Austria], [|Belgium] , [|Denmark] , [|France] , [|Germany] , [|Greece] , [|Italy] , [|Norway] , [|Spain] , [|Sweden] , and [|Switzerland] among others but has been certified as a safe food additive in the EU and is today legal in most of the countries. It has the capacity for inducing an [|allergic] reaction in individuals with pre-existing moderate asthma. In the [|United States] production exceeds 1 million [|pounds] annually, and daily consumption is around 16 mg per person.

It is one of the colorants that the [| __Hyperactive__] Children's Support Group and the [|Feingold] Association recommends to be eliminated from the diet of children. After extensive testing, the National Institutes of Health concluded that color additives do not cause hyperactivity.