INS 132 is indigo carmine, also called indigotine. It is a synthetic blue colour used in soft drinks, blue ice cream, sweets, paan-flavoured candy, and some pharmaceutical tablet coatings. On Indian labels you may see it as INS 132, E132, indigo carmine, or indigotine. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories with restrictions.
Quick Facts
INS Number
132
E-Number
E132
Category
Colour
Veg Status
Vegan
FSSAI Status
Permitted with restrictions
JECFA ADI
0-5 mg/kg bw (1974)
Chemical Name
disodium 3,3'-dioxo-[delta2,2'-biindoline]-5,5'-disulfonate (with the 5,7'-positional isomer as a subsidiary component)
What is INS 132?
INS 132 is indigo carmine, also called indigotine. It is a synthetic blue colour used in soft drinks, blue ice cream, sweets, paan-flavoured candy, and some pharmaceutical tablet coatings. On Indian labels you may see it as INS 132, E132, indigo carmine, or indigotine.
Why brands add it
Brands use it because it gives a stable, deep blue shade that holds up under acidic conditions (soft drinks), heat (baked products and pasteurised dairy), and shelf life. Natural blue options are usually more sensitive to pH, heat, and light, so brands use indigo carmine when they need a stable deep blue. Indigo carmine is the workhorse synthetic blue behind blueberry-flavoured products, paan-style candy, and the blue half of the duo-colour ice creams and lollies sold in summer.
Where you'll find it
INS 132 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
blue and blueberry-flavoured soft drinks
blue ice creams and lollies
paan-flavoured candy and mouth fresheners
blueberry-style sweets and gummies
pharmaceutical and supplement tablet coatings
some baked decorations and icings
frozen desserts with blue swirls
Veg or non-veg? - Vegan
Indigo carmine is a synthetic dye made by sulfonating indigo (the parent dye traditionally extracted from the indigo plant, now mostly produced by chemical synthesis) and isolating the disodium salt. No animal product is used in its manufacture.
FSSAI status and JECFA evaluation
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI as a synthetic food colour under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories with category-specific upper limits. Typical limits per Chapter 3.2.1: up to 100 ppm in bread, biscuits, soft drinks, candies, wafers, and jelly crystal; up to 200 ppm in synthetic syrups for dispensers. FSSAI mandates the label declaration 'CONTAINS PERMITTED SYNTHETIC FOOD COLOUR(S)' on products using synthetic colours.
JECFA: ADI 0-5 mg/kg body weight for indigotine, established at the 18th JECFA (1974) based on a 2-year rat NOEL of 500 mg/kg body weight per day with a 100-fold safety factor. Earlier JECFA evaluations (1964 and 1969) had a temporary ADI of 0-2.5 mg/kg bw; the 18th meeting (1974) raised it to 0-5 mg/kg bw with full data. Specifications updated at the 73rd JECFA (2010). EFSA re-evaluated E132 in 2014 (EFSA Journal 2014;12(7):3768) and confirmed the 0-5 mg/kg bw ADI, conditional on commercial material having at least 93% pure colouring matter (the standard commercial purity). EFSA's 2023 follow-up (EFSA Journal 2023;21(7):8103) addressed specifications and data gaps and again confirmed the ADI for material meeting the revised purity specification.
Also known as
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 132 is also called:
132ins 132e132e 132indigo carmineindigotineindigo carmine disodium saltfd&c blue 2fd and c blue 2food blue 1ci food blue 1ci 73015acid blue 74synthetic blue colourblue food colour
Frequently Asked Questions
Is INS 132 (indigo carmine) safe for kids?+
JECFA established an ADI of 0 to 5 mg per kg of body weight for indigo carmine at the 18th meeting (1974), based on a 2-year rat feeding study with a 100-fold safety factor. For a 20 kg child, this works out to about 100 mg per day. At FSSAI's common 100 mg/kg upper limit on synthetic colour in confectionery and ice cream, a 100 g serving would contain about 10 mg of indigo carmine, well under the 100 mg/day ADI for a 20 kg child. EFSA confirmed the 0-5 mg/kg ADI in its 2014 re-evaluation and again in its 2023 follow-up. A 2013 rat study (Dixit and Goyal) reported adverse effects on the testes at high doses with lower-purity material; EFSA's response was to tighten the commercial purity specification to at least 93% pure colouring matter rather than lower the ADI, because the standard commercial product on shelves already meets that purity. Indian packs that use INS 132 carry the mandatory 'CONTAINS PERMITTED SYNTHETIC FOOD COLOUR(S)' label declaration. As with any synthetic food colour, occasional consumption at typical pack sizes is well within the ADI; the concern, if any, is total synthetic colour load from many such products in a single day, not from any one product.
Is INS 132 vegetarian?+
Vegan. Indigo carmine is a synthetic dye made by sulfonating indigo (the parent dye traditionally extracted from the indigo plant, now mostly produced by chemical synthesis) and isolating the disodium salt. No animal product is used in its manufacture.
Is INS 132 permitted by FSSAI?+
Permitted by FSSAI as a synthetic food colour under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories with category-specific upper limits. Typical limits per Chapter 3.2.1: up to 100 ppm in bread, biscuits, soft drinks, candies, wafers, and jelly crystal; up to 200 ppm in synthetic syrups for dispensers. FSSAI mandates the label declaration 'CONTAINS PERMITTED SYNTHETIC FOOD COLOUR(S)' on products using synthetic colours.
What is INS 132 used for?+
Brands use it because it gives a stable, deep blue shade that holds up under acidic conditions (soft drinks), heat (baked products and pasteurised dairy), and shelf life. Natural blue options are usually more sensitive to pH, heat, and light, so brands use indigo carmine when they need a stable deep blue. Indigo carmine is the workhorse synthetic blue behind blueberry-flavoured products, paan-style candy, and the blue half of the duo-colour ice creams and lollies sold in summer.
Is INS 132 (also written as E132) the same thing?+
Yes. INS 132 (the Codex International Numbering System used by FSSAI) and E132 (the European E-number system) refer to the same compound. The digits are identical for almost all common additives. Indian packets may show either form, or the common name (indigo carmine (indigotine)).
This page summarises FSSAI's permission status and JECFA's scientific evaluation. It is not medical or dietary advice. Manufacturer ingredient sourcing can vary, especially for source-dependent additives - the Indian veg/non-veg dot logo on the pack is the brand's declaration. For health decisions, consult a doctor or registered dietitian.