Yellow Lakes 5 & 6

Yellow Lakes 5 and 6 are synthetic color additives. They are made by taking water-soluble dyes (Yellow 5 and Yellow 6) and precipitating them onto an insoluble base, usually alumina hydrate. This process creates pigments that are stable in fats and oils.

These ingredients are added to foods to provide a yellow or orange color. Because they are insoluble, lakes are often used in products with fats, oils, or low moisture, such as baked goods, snack foods, and coatings, where water-soluble dyes might bleed.

Yellow 5 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake are approved color additives by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In April 2025, the FDA announced a plan to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes, which includes the dyes used to make Yellow 5 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake. Concerns have been raised about a possible link between certain artificial food colors, including Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, and hyperactivity in some children; however, scientific evidence on this topic is mixed. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have evaluated Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 and set acceptable daily intakes.