INS 129 is Allura Red AC, a synthetic azo dye that gives an orange-red to scarlet shade. It is the colour behind red velvet cake mixes, pink-red soft drinks, and many red ice cream syrups and candies on Indian shelves. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories with restrictions.
INS 129 is Allura Red AC, a synthetic azo dye that gives an orange-red to scarlet shade. It is the colour behind red velvet cake mixes, pink-red soft drinks, and many red ice cream syrups and candies on Indian shelves.
Brands use it because Allura Red is bright, holds up well under heat (so it survives baking and pasteurisation), and stays stable in fizzy drinks. It is the FDA-preferred red dye in the US (where it is called Red 40) and is widely used internationally in baked goods and beverages.
INS 129 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Allura Red AC is a synthetic azo dye made from coal-tar or petroleum-derived intermediates. No animal product is used in its manufacture.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a synthetic food colour for specified food categories with category-specific upper limits, typically capped at 100 ppm in non-specified categories. FSSAI mandates the label declaration 'CONTAINS PERMITTED SYNTHETIC FOOD COLOUR(S)'.
JECFA: ADI 0-7 mg/kg body weight, established at 25th JECFA (1981) and maintained at 54th JECFA (2000). EFSA's 2009 re-evaluation confirmed the 0-7 mg/kg bw ADI.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 129 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-30.