Additives and salicylate: 337 foods rated

An azo dye widely used for red confectionery and drinks, and part of the group of synthetic colours that trigger salicylate-sensitive people. It is also one of the six colours of Annex V of the additives regulation, which must carry the children's attention warning on the label - a different endpoint from this axis: attention, not salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
• Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V — the six colours whose presence requires the children's attention warning on the label

The azo dye of that name, not the grain — a dark red colour, and one of the synthetic dyes that cross-react in salicylate intolerance.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Azorubine is an azo dye used for reds and berry shades, and one of the colours grouped with tartrazine as a salicylate cross-reactor. It is also one of the six colours of Annex V of the additives regulation, which must carry the children's attention warning on the label - a different endpoint from this axis: attention, not salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
• Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V — the six colours whose presence requires the children's attention warning on the label

Benzoic acid does not contain salicylate; it is its closest structural relative, differing by a single hydroxyl group, and salicylate-sensitive people commonly react to it. Used as a preservative in soft drinks and sauces.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Benzyl alcohol is metabolised in the body to benzoic acid, which is why it belongs with the salicylates — the trigger is what it becomes, not what it is on the label.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

A black azo dye used in sauces and confectionery, listed among the synthetic colours that cross-react in salicylate intolerance.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

A synthetic brown dye historically used on smoked fish, and one of the colours grouped with the azo dyes as a salicylate cross-reactor.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

A brown azo dye used in chocolate-flavoured products, and part of the synthetic colour group that salicylate-sensitive people react to.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Calcium Sorbate: the calcium salt of sorbic acid, used where the potassium form is unsuitable. Same preservative, same reason for appearing on a salicylate elimination list.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Carmine is a natural red extracted from cochineal insects, but natural origin does not help here — it belongs to the colour group that reliably triggers salicylate-sensitive people.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

The longest-chain gallate, used in the fattiest applications. Like the rest of the family, it is a phenolic antioxidant that salicylate-sensitive people react to.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Erythrosine is a synthetic pink-red colour used in glacé cherries and some confectionery. Not an azo dye, but grouped with them as a trigger in salicylate sensitivity.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Ethylparaben sits between methyl and propyl in the paraben family, and shares the para-hydroxybenzoic acid backbone that makes the whole family a salicylate cross-reactor.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

A synthetic green colour used in tinned peas, mint products and confectionery, and one of the dyes listed as a salicylate cross-reactor.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

A synthetic red colour used almost exclusively on cheese rind, and grouped with the other synthetic dyes that trigger salicylate-sensitive people.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Parabens are esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid, close enough to salicylic acid that salicylate-sensitive people often react. Methylparaben is the most widely used of them.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

The same phenolic antioxidant family as propyl gallate, with a longer chain that suits fattier products. The phenolic structure behind the salicylate cross-reaction is unchanged.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

An azo dye from the same family as tartrazine, and a recognised cross-reactor in salicylate sensitivity. Often used alongside it to shade oranges and yellows. It is also one of the six colours of Annex V of the additives regulation, which must carry the children's attention warning on the label - a different endpoint from this axis: attention, not salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
• Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V — the six colours whose presence requires the children's attention warning on the label

Potassium benzoate is the same preservative as sodium benzoate with a different salt, and it carries the same cross-reactivity for salicylate-sensitive people. Common in sugar-free drinks.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Potassium Sorbate: the potassium salt of sorbic acid, and the most common form on labels. Like sorbic acid, it is listed on salicylate elimination diets on the basis of reported reactions rather than chemical kinship.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Gallates are phenolic antioxidants used to stop fats going rancid, and their phenolic ring is why they trigger salicylate-sensitive people. Found in oils, margarine and snack foods.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Propylparaben is a longer-chain paraben than methylparaben, with the same para-hydroxybenzoic acid backbone that makes it cross-react in salicylate intolerance.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

The sodium salt of benzoic acid, and it behaves the same way in the body — a close structural relative of salicylate that sensitive people frequently react to. Very common in soft drinks.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

The sodium salt of ethylparaben. Same paraben family, same reason it appears on a salicylate elimination list.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Sodium Metabisulfite is a sulfite, which is a separate intolerance from salicylate, but the two are so often eliminated together — and so often co-present in dried fruit and wine — that it is flagged on this axis.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

The sodium salt of methylparaben, used where better water solubility is needed. Same paraben structure, same cross-reactivity with salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

The water-soluble sodium salt of propylparaben. The salt changes how it dissolves, not the paraben structure that drives the salicylate cross-reaction.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Sodium Sorbate: the sodium salt of sorbic acid. Same family and same standing on this axis: reported reactions in sensitive people, without a structural link to salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Sorbic acid is not structurally related to salicylate — it is a straight-chain compound, not a ring. It appears on salicylate elimination diets because sensitive people report reacting to it, not because of chemical similarity.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Tartrazine is the most documented azo dye in salicylate and aspirin sensitivity — the cross-reaction has been described for decades. It colours soft drinks, sweets and sauces yellow. It is also one of the six colours of Annex V of the additives regulation, which must carry the children's attention warning on the label - a different endpoint from this axis: attention, not salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
• Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V — the six colours whose presence requires the children's attention warning on the label

Acetic acid is vinegar's acid and is not structurally related to salicylate. Vinegar-heavy foods are commonly restricted alongside salicylates, which is why it appears here.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

BHA is a phenolic antioxidant added to fats to stop them going rancid, and the phenolic ring is why salicylate-sensitive people react. It does not contain salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

BHT is BHA's close relative, used for the same purpose in the same products, and it cross-reacts with salicylate for the same phenolic reason. There is also a regulatory number for this one, and it moved in the direction people rarely expect: re-evaluating BHT, EFSA raised its ADI to 0.25 mg per kilo of body weight a day from 0.05, on a rat NOAEL of 25 mg/kg, and found it not of concern for genotoxicity. Adults are unlikely to reach that ADI. CHILDREN at the 95th percentile of intake in Finland and the Netherlands do exceed it. That is a toxicological limit and not an intolerance threshold - the two are different objects - but it is the only hard figure this additive has here.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
• EFSA Panel on Food Additives (2012), re-evaluation of butylated hydroxytoluene BHT (E 321) as a food additive

Caramel colour is made by heating sugar, and the compounds formed are not salicylate — it appears on elimination lists because of reported reactions, not chemical kinship.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Annatto is a natural colour from achiote seed, but natural origin does not exempt it: it is one of the colourings repeatedly reported in salicylate-sensitive reactions.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

An unspecified flavouring can be almost anything — citrus oils, spice extracts and herbal distillates are all common, and all carry salicylate. The label gives no way to tell.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Malic acid: the acid of apples, added to sour sweets and drinks. It is a fruit acid rather than a salicylate, but it travels with the fruit sources that carry both.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

A closely related emulsifier to DATEM, combining acetic and tartaric acids with fats. Same standing on this axis: grouped with additives, not chemically related to salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

DATEM is a dough emulsifier built from tartaric acid and fats. No structural link to salicylate; it is on elimination lists as part of the additive block.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Polysorbate 60 is an emulsifier with no chemical relation to salicylate, restricted in elimination diets that cut additives broadly rather than for a shared mechanism.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Same emulsifier family as polysorbate 60 and the same standing here — grouped with additives in elimination protocols, not a salicylate relative.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

An azo dye used for red shades, in the same group as tartrazine — the synthetic colours with a long-documented cross-reaction in salicylate and aspirin sensitivity. It is also one of the six colours of Annex V of the additives regulation, which must carry the children's attention warning on the label - a different endpoint from this axis: attention, not salicylate.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment
• Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V — the six colours whose presence requires the children's attention warning on the label

Quinoline yellow is one of the six colours that Annex V of the additives regulation names, alongside tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmoisine, ponceau 4R and allura red: a food containing any of them must carry the words "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". No published assay places any of the six on the salicylate axis, and Annex V measures a different thing entirely. Two facts temper the group reading: quinoline yellow is the only one of the six that is NOT an azo dye, so the cross-reaction reasoning built on tartrazine does not transfer mechanically, and no provocation study of E 104 alone has been published - the EFSA, which cut its acceptable daily intake from 10 to 0.5 mg per kilo of body weight in 2009 on chronic-toxicity grounds, calls the sensitivity data insufficient. The level is a group reading, not a direct proof.

• Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Article 24 and Annex V — the six colours whose presence requires the children's attention warning on the label
• EFSA ANS Panel, EFSA Journal 2009, re-evaluation of quinoline yellow (E 104)

Tertiary-butylhydroquinone: TBHQ is another phenolic antioxidant for fats and fried products, in the same salicylate-cross-reacting family as BHA and BHT.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

Yeast extract is a flavour concentrate, and the plant-derived flavour compounds it carries are why it is flagged for salicylate. It is also rich in other amines that burden the same pathways.

• Baenkler H-W., Dtsch Arztebl Int 105:8 (2008) 137-142, salicylate intolerance - mechanism, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment

4-hexylresorcinol is an anti-browning agent used on shellfish. It is a phenolic compound, which is why it appears near the gallates on the salicylate list, but at far lower use levels.

A tree exudate used as a thickener. Plant-derived, but processed to a purified gum with little of the original chemistry, salicylate included, left.

Acetic acid esters of mono/diglycerides is a fat-based emulsifier. No salicylate content and no cross-reaction; present as part of the additive group.

A modified starch thickener. Starch carries no salicylate; the level reflects additive-group membership.

Aluminium is a mineral additive with no chemical relation to salicylate. It carries a level because elimination protocols remove additives broadly, not for a shared mechanism.

Aluminium potassium sulfate is a mineral firming and raising agent, chemically unrelated to salicylate. On this axis by additive-group association only.

Aluminium silicate is an anti-caking mineral. No salicylate content and no cross-reaction mechanism — present on this axis only as part of the additive block.

Same mineral family as the other aluminium sulfates, same absence of any salicylate mechanism.

Aluminium sulfate is a mineral firming agent. It carries a level through the additive block, not through any chemistry it shares with salicylate.

Caramel colour made by heating sugar with ammonia compounds. No salicylate is formed; it carries a level because elimination diets cut colourings as a group.

Annatto is a natural colour from achiote seed, so it does carry plant compounds, salicylate among them — unlike the mineral and synthetic additives around it at this level.

Anthocyanins: plant pigments extracted from fruit skins, which is exactly where salicylate concentrates — but the extraction targets the colour and uses very little of it.

Azodicarbonamide is a flour treatment agent. Despite the "azo" in the name it is not an azo dye and does not share the colourings' salicylate cross-reaction.

Calcium aluminium silicate is an anti-caking mineral, chemically unrelated to salicylate. Listed with the additive group rather than for any effect of its own.

A citrate salt. Citric acid is a fruit acid, not a salicylate, and the two are not interchangeable — the sourness is unrelated to this intolerance.

Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate is a dough conditioner made from fatty acids and lactic acid. Grouped with additives rather than carrying salicylate.

Canthaxanthin is a carotenoid colour, mostly produced synthetically rather than extracted, which is why it carries no meaningful plant salicylate.

A caramel colour produced with sulfites, which are a separate intolerance. The salicylate relevance is by association with the additive block, not chemistry.

An emulsifier built from citric acid and fats. Citric acid is a fruit acid, not a salicylate.

Cross-linked sodium CMC is a cellulose-derived thickener, chemically inert, and it carries no salicylate. Listed with the additive block.

Dimethyl dicarbonate is a beverage preservative that breaks down into methanol and carbon dioxide after use. No salicylate involvement.

Fumaric acid: an acidulant with no structural relation to salicylate. Present on this axis through the additive block only.

An amino acid used as a flavour enhancer. It belongs with the glutamates, not with the salicylates — the two are commonly eliminated together but are unrelated.

Lactic acid: the acid of fermentation, produced by bacteria. Chemically unrelated to salicylate — sour does not mean salicylate.

An emulsifier from lactic acid and fats, used in whipped and aerated products. No salicylate relation.

Lutein is a plant pigment used as a colour, extracted and purified. The purification is why its salicylate is low despite its botanical origin.

Extracted from the same dried pepper that makes paprika, which is high in salicylate — but it is used as a colour in tiny amounts, not as a spice.

Potassium aluminium silicate is a mineral used as a colour carrier and anti-caking agent. No relation to salicylate beyond membership of the additive group.

A citrate salt used as an acidity regulator. Citric acid and salicylic acid are different compounds despite both being associated with fruit.

A curing salt for meat. Its relevance is to nitrites and amines rather than salicylate, though cured meats often carry both concerns.

A seaweed extract used as a thickener. Seaweed is low in salicylate to begin with, and processing lowers it further.

Sodium aluminium phosphate is a raising agent, mineral and salicylate-free. Grouped with additives in elimination protocols.

Sodium aluminium silicate: anti-caking mineral, same family and same standing: no salicylate, no cross-reaction, grouped with additives.

The most common citrate salt, used as a buffer and emulsifier. No salicylate relation; it is here with the additive group.

Made with both sulfites and ammonia compounds. Like the other caramels here, it is listed by association rather than for any salicylate content.

Tartaric acid: the acid of grapes. The acid itself is not a salicylate, though it arrives alongside grape products that genuinely carry some.