Red 2G is a synthetic red azo dye. It is soluble in water and slightly soluble in glycerol. It usually comes as a disodium salt of 8-acetamido-1-hydroxy-2-phenylazonaphthalene-3,6 disulfonate.
Red 2G is produced by azo coupling of Acetyl-H acid and diazonium derivative of Aniline under basic conditions:
In the European Union, Red 2G was used as a food dye (E number E128). However, it was only permitted for use in breakfast sausages with a minimum cereal content of 6% and burger meat with a minimum vegetable and/or cereal content of 4%.[1]
Following safety concerns raised by EFSA in its opinion of 5 July 2007,[2] the European Commission has prepared a draft Regulation to suspend use of E128 as a food colouring. This proposed course of action was unanimously approved by European Union Member States at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health (Section Toxicological Safety of the Food Chain) on 20 July 2007.[3] and Commission Regulation (EC) No 884/2007[4] on emergency measures suspending the use of E 128 Red 2G as food colour was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27 July 2007.
Red 2G is also banned in Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway,[5] and Malaysia.[6] It was banned in Israel in July 2007 .
It is relatively insensitive to the bleaching effect of sulfur dioxide (E220) and sodium metabisulfite (E223). In the intestines, Red 2G can be converted to the toxic compound aniline,[7] so there are concerns Red 2G may ultimately interfere with blood haemoglobin, as well as cause cancer.
It is also used as a dye for coatings, inks, paper, crepe paper, and fine tissue.
Red 2G can be also used for staining in histology, though rarely, e.g. as a component of Masson's trichrome.
In July 2007, the EFSA established that E128 is potentially carcinogenic because it forms aniline in the body when consumed.[8] The pressure group, The Food Commission, said there had been concerns about Red 2G going back decades and it was suspected of being a carcinogen in the 1980s.[9]