E-numbers have a worse reputation than most of them deserve. The "E" simply means the additive has been assessed and approved for use in Europe — vitamin C is E300. But a handful genuinely are worth knowing about, and two carry a warning that's required by law.
The two with a mandatory warning
If you see E102 (tartrazine) or E129 (allura red) on a label, UK and EU law requires the pack to carry this statement:
"May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children."
This comes from research into food colourings and hyperactivity. The additives remain legal and approved — but the warning is compulsory, and manufacturers can't leave it off.
Four other colours carry the same requirement: E104 (quinoline yellow), E110 (sunset yellow), E122 (carmoisine) and E124 (ponceau 4R).
You'll find E102 and E129 in a number of brightly-coloured jelly sweets, particularly in blue, green and vivid red products. We reproduce the warning on every product page where it applies, because it should be visible before you buy rather than after.
The one that isn't vegetarian
E120 — carmine, or cochineal. A red colouring made from crushed insects. It's the reason some pink marshmallows and red sweets aren't suitable for vegetarians even when they contain no gelatine.
The harmless ones you'll see constantly
- E100 — curcumin. Turmeric. Yellow.
- E133 — brilliant blue. Synthetic, but not on the warning list.
- E150d — caramel colour. What makes cola sweets brown.
- E160a — carotenes. The pigment in carrots. Orange.
- E162 — beetroot red. Exactly what it sounds like.
- E407 — carrageenan. Seaweed extract. It's the gelling agent that lets vegan marshmallows exist.
- E471 — mono- and diglycerides. An emulsifier. Stops ingredients separating.
The non-E ingredients worth reading for
Some of the most relevant things on a sweet label don't have E-numbers at all:
- Gelatine — animal collagen. Some labels specify pork or beef; many don't.
- Beeswax — a glazing agent. Vegetarian, not vegan.
- Carnauba wax — from a palm. Vegan.
- Wheat flour and wheat starch — more common in sweets than people expect, particularly in liquorice and pencil-style products.
How to read a label in ten seconds
Scan for four things: gelatine (animal), E120 (insect), beeswax (not vegan), and the children's warning (E102/E104/E110/E122/E124/E129). That covers the overwhelming majority of what most people actually need to know.
Every product page on this site carries the full ingredient list, allergen statement, warning where applicable, and nutrition panel exactly as supplied by the manufacturer. If you have a genuine allergy, always confirm against the physical pack — recipes change.