Red iron oxide
Function: Food colours
E172II is the European food-additive number for Red iron oxide, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Red iron oxide (E172ii) is a colour used as a food additive.
What is E172II used for?
Red iron oxide (E172II) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all Food colours (E-numbers).
Is E172II safe or restricted?
E172II is approved for use in the EU. It sits among the additives EFSA keeps under ongoing review as new evidence is published. Forkin classifies it as “Under monitoring” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E172II vegan or vegetarian?
Red iron oxide (E172II) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E172II?
E172II appears in 446 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Porridge / Hot Cereal, White Rice, and Cereals.
- Porridge / Hot Cereal99
- White Rice38
- Cereals34
- Dietary Supplements27
- Protein Powder / Shake20
- Meat Alternatives16
- Cornflakes11
- Vitamins & Supplements11
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E172II across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E172II
- What is E172II?
- E172II is the E-number for Red iron oxide, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Red iron oxide (E172ii) is a colour used as a food additive.
- What is E172II used for?
- Red iron oxide (E172II) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E172II?
- E172II appears in 446 of the 4.9 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in Porridge / Hot Cereal, White Rice, and Cereals. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E172II vegan or vegetarian?
- Red iron oxide (E172II) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows product-specific vegan and vegetarian signals where available, based on ingredient and label data, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E172II safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E172II is approved for use in the EU. It sits among the additives EFSA keeps under ongoing review as new evidence is published. Forkin classifies it as ‘Under monitoring’ and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E172II — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan and vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.