Citrus Red No. 2
6358-53-8 · 1-((2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)azo)-2-naphthalenol · 1-((2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl)naphthalen-2-ol · 1-(1-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)azo)-2-naphthol · 1-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenylazo)-2-naphthol · 1-(2,5-Dimethyloxyphenylazo)-2-naphthol · 1-(2-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl)-2-Naphthalenol · 1-[(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenol, 9CI · 1-[(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)azo]-2-naphthol · 1-[(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl]-2-naphthol # · 1-[(E)-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl]-2-naphthol · 2,5-Dimethoxy-1-(phenylazo)-2-naphthol · 2,5-Dimethoxy-1-phenylazo-2-naphthol · 2,5-Dimethoxybenzeneazo-.beta.-naphthol · 2,5-Dimethoxybenzeneazo-beta-naphthol · 2-Naphthalenol, 1-(2-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl)- · 2-Naphthalenol, 1-[(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)azo]- · 2-Naphthol, 1-((2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)azo)- · 2-Naphthol, 1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenylazo)- · BRN 4510811 · C.I. Solvent Red 80 · C.I. Solvent red 80 (8CI) · CCRIS 1875 · Cerven rozpoustedlova 80 · CI Solvent Red 80 · Citrus Red · CITRUS RED 2 · Citrus Red 2, analytical standard · Citrus Red No. 2 · GJUABKCEXOMRPQ-FMQUCBEESA-N · GJUABKCEXOMRPQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N · HSDB 2948 · Solvent red 80 · Citrus Red No. 2CAS 6358-53-8
Listed as a colour by Canada and the US.
Listed as colours (CA, US)
- Canada: Food colour — Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Colours (List 3)
- United States: Color additive (21 CFR part 74) — 21 CFR 74.302
- United States: Color or coloring adjunct — FDA, Substances Added to Food: CITRUS RED NO. 2
Citrus Red No. 2 is a synthetic dye with a single permitted use: colouring the skin of oranges that are not intended for processing. It may not be used in any other food.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Canada | Permitted, with conditions | highest permitted level 2 mg/kg In: Skins of whole oranges. Purpose: Food colour. Limit: 2 ppm. Note: This food colour is a synthetic colour as defined in section B.16.001 of the Food and Drug Regulations. For th …In: Skins of whole oranges. Purpose: Food colour. Limit: 2 ppm. Note: This food colour is a synthetic colour as defined in section B.16.001 of the Food and Drug Regulations. For the purposes of section B.16.012 of the Food and Drug Regulations, the synthetic colours identified in the list above are water soluble with the exception of citrus red No. 2. Amendment notices: NOM/ADM-0108. | Health Canada, List of Permitted Food Colours (List 3), item C.8retrieved 2026-10-17 |
| European Union | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Great Britain | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Permitted, with conditions | Subject to batch certification by FDA. | 21 CFR 74.302retrieved 2026-10-17 |
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| Canada | 2 mg/kg | 1 numeric limit |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | 1 no quantity stated |
What it is made from
A synthetic azo dye made from petroleum-derived aromatic intermediates. Its restriction to peel reflects that the peel of such oranges is not expected to be eaten.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 6358-53-8
- InChIKey
- GJUABKCEXOMRPQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- PubChem
- CID 22830
Every name it appears under
34 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 6358-53-8
As it appears in regulation
- Citrus Red No. 2
Other names
- 1-((2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)azo)-2-naphthalenol
- 1-((2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl)naphthalen-2-ol
- 1-(1-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)azo)-2-naphthol
- 1-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenylazo)-2-naphthol
- 1-(2,5-Dimethyloxyphenylazo)-2-naphthol
- 1-(2-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl)-2-Naphthalenol
- 1-[(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenol, 9CI
- 1-[(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)azo]-2-naphthol
- 1-[(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl]-2-naphthol #
- 1-[(E)-(2,5-Dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl]-2-naphthol
- 2,5-Dimethoxy-1-(phenylazo)-2-naphthol
- 2,5-Dimethoxy-1-phenylazo-2-naphthol
- 2,5-Dimethoxybenzeneazo-.beta.-naphthol
- 2,5-Dimethoxybenzeneazo-beta-naphthol
- 2-Naphthalenol, 1-(2-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)diazenyl)-
- 2-Naphthalenol, 1-[(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)azo]-
- 2-Naphthol, 1-((2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)azo)-
- 2-Naphthol, 1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenylazo)-
- BRN 4510811
- C.I. Solvent Red 80
- C.I. Solvent red 80 (8CI)
- CCRIS 1875
- Cerven rozpoustedlova 80
- CI Solvent Red 80
- Citrus Red
- CITRUS RED 2
- Citrus Red 2, analytical standard
- Citrus Red No. 2
- GJUABKCEXOMRPQ-FMQUCBEESA-N
- GJUABKCEXOMRPQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- HSDB 2948
- Solvent red 80
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is Citrus Red No. 2?
- Citrus Red No. 2 is a synthetic dye with a single permitted use: colouring the skin of oranges that are not intended for processing. It may not be used in any other food.
- What is Citrus Red No. 2 used for in food?
- It is listed as a colour — the role Canada and the US assign it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Is Citrus Red No. 2 banned in Europe?
- No. Citrus Red No. 2 does not appear on the EU's list of authorised food additives, which is not the same as being banned: the EU permits an additive only where it has authorised it, and usually the reason for an absence is that no one applied. The EU has made no finding against this substance. It does mean it may not be used as a food additive in the EU today.
- Where is Citrus Red No. 2 permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Canada and the US permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is Citrus Red No. 2 vegan?
- Yes. Citrus Red No. 2 is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- ca retrieved 2026-10-17
- ecfr retrieved 2026-10-17
Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.
Machine-readable: a JSON record of this additive is given on request —how to ask for access.
Follow changes to Citrus Red No. 2:Atom feed — regulatory events, and any change the weekly refresh detects in its provisions.