What is E100? (Food Additive Explained)
E100 is curcumin — the natural yellow-orange pigment extracted from turmeric. It's used as a food colouring in mustard, butter, cheese, curries, and snack foods to give them a warm golden colour.
What is E100?
Full name: Curcumin (Turmeric Extract)
E100 is curcumin, the principal colour compound found in turmeric (Curcuma longa). It can be extracted directly from turmeric root or produced synthetically. As a food additive, it's classified as a natural colour and is one of the few food colourings derived from a plant source. Turmeric has been used in cooking for thousands of years, particularly in South Asian cuisine.
What does E100 do in food?
E100 is used purely as a colouring agent. It gives food a bright yellow to orange hue. Unlike artificial colours (like tartrazine / E102), curcumin is considered a natural colouring and is often preferred by manufacturers marketing products as "natural" or "free from artificial colours". It doesn't affect taste at the low concentrations used for colouring.
Where is E100 found?
E100 is commonly found in:
- Mustard and curry sauces
- Butter and margarine
- Cheese and processed cheese
- Rice dishes and noodles
- Snack foods and crisps
- Ice cream and confectionery
Is E100 bad for you?
E100 is considered safe by EFSA, the FDA, and food authorities worldwide. It has an acceptable daily intake (ADI) set by EFSA, but you'd need to consume very large amounts to approach it. Curcumin is the same compound that makes turmeric a popular health supplement. There is no evidence it causes hyperactivity in children (unlike some synthetic colours), and it's not linked to any adverse health effects at normal dietary levels.
Why E100 matters for food choices
E100 is a useful example of how E-numbers aren't automatically bad. Curcumin is a natural plant extract that has been part of human diets for millennia. However, its presence in a product can still indicate processing — when curcumin is added to make cheap margarine look like butter, or to give a ready meal an appetising colour, it's being used to mask the product's true nature. The key is to look at the full ingredient list, not just one additive.
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