FD&C aluminum lakes
FD&C aluminum lakes are water-insoluble pigments made by precipitating a certified water-soluble FD&C dye as its aluminum salt onto a substrate of alumina (aluminum hydroxide). Because they disperse rather than dissolve, they color fats, oils, dry powders and coatings without bleeding. Suppliers sell lakes of Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2 at stated pure dye contents, as powders and pre-made dispersions.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Lakes sold at a range of pure dye contents (often from about 10 to over 40 percent); higher dye content gives more color per kilogram.
Micronized lakes for smooth coatings and to reduce specking in tablets and candy.
Lakes pre-dispersed in oil, glycerin, propylene glycol or sugar syrup for coating pans and fat-based fillings.
Lakes mixed to match a target color, each from a certified lot.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Store lakes sealed in a cool, dry place away from light; moisture causes caking and can release dye from the substrate. Control dust because lakes stain equipment and nearby products. Shelf life is set by the supplier, and lakes are retested for dye content and appearance once past the retest date.
Record the certification lot number, parent dye and pure dye content for each lot, and adjust dose when dye content changes. Check the regulatory status of the parent dye for each lot, since a revocation of a dye also affects its lakes.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 82.51 describes FD&C lakes as a certified water-soluble straight color combined with aluminum or calcium and extended on a substratum of alumina.
Source: govinfo.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 82.51 names each lake by the color, the basic radical and the word "Lake," for example FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake.
Source: govinfo.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 74.340 requires all batches of FD&C Red No. 40 and its lakes to be certified by FDA.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 101.22(k)(1) requires the word "Lake" in the ingredient declaration of a certified color lake, for example "Blue 1 Lake."
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · St. Louis, MO
North American food color business of Sensient Technologies, making certified FD&C dyes and lakes alongside natural colors from sources such as beet juice, carmine, annatto, spirulina and butterfly pea flower.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include low, medium and high dye content, fine-particle grades, dispersions and blended shades. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect fDA certification lot number, pure dye content, chlorides, sulfates and HCl-insoluble matter, heavy metals and particle size and moisture, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Store lakes sealed in a cool, dry place away from light; moisture causes caking and can release dye from the substrate. Control dust because lakes stain equipment and nearby products. Shelf life is set by the supplier, and lakes are retested for dye content and appearance once past the retest date.
21 CFR 82.51 describes FD&C lakes as a certified water-soluble straight color combined with aluminum or calcium and extended on a substratum of alumina. 21 CFR 82.51 names each lake by the color, the basic radical and the word "Lake," for example FD&C Blue No. 1 Aluminum Lake. 21 CFR 74.340 requires all batches of FD&C Red No. 40 and its lakes to be certified by FDA. 21 CFR 101.22(k)(1) requires the word "Lake" in the ingredient declaration of a certified color lake, for example "Blue 1 Lake."
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