Solvent Yellow 14
An orange-red azo dye once used in food, now banned for food and textiles
No single value: Solvent Yellow 14 is a material, and its colour varies. The background shows its family, orange.
Solvent Yellow 14, also called Sudan I, is an orange-red azo dye used to colour waxes, oils, and polishes. It was formerly used as a food colouring, but is now banned in many countries due to health concerns, including its possible link to cancer. Today, it is mainly used in non-food applications such as colouring smoke.
- An orange-red azo dye used in waxes, oils, and polishes
- Banned as a food colouring in many countries
- Still used for non-food applications like coloured smoke
- Prone to fading when exposed to light
- Classified as a possible carcinogen in animal studies
What colour is Solvent Yellow 14?
Solvent Yellow 14, also known as Sudan I, is a synthetic dye that appears as an orange-red solid. It belongs to the group of azo dyes, which are known for their vivid colours and use in colouring various materials. The shade stands out for its strong, warm hue, and is mainly used to colour non-polar substances like waxes, oils, and polishes. Its colour is distinct from yellows and reds, falling between the two with a noticeable orange cast.
Where does Solvent Yellow 14 come from?
The name 'Sudan I' comes from its classification among the Sudan dyes, a group of azo compounds. These dyes have been widely used for colouring hydrocarbon solvents and other non-polar materials. The compound is synthetic, created through chemical processes rather than being found in nature. It was once used as a food dye, but concerns about its safety led to bans in many countries.
How is Solvent Yellow 14 made?
Solvent Yellow 14 is made through a two-step chemical process. First, aniline reacts with nitrous acid (produced from sodium nitrite and hydrochloric acid) to form a benzene diazonium chloride solution. This is then combined with 2-naphthol, resulting in the formation of the azo dye. The dye is prone to breaking down when exposed to light, which means its colour does not last well on materials exposed to sunlight.
Where Solvent Yellow 14 is used
This dye has been used to colour waxes, oils, petrol, solvents, and polishes. In the past, it was also used in food products like curry powder and chili powder, but this use is now banned in many places due to health risks. It is still used as a colouring reagent in non-food applications, including in the production of orange-coloured smoke. Textile and shoe polish industries have also used it, but regulations now restrict its use in items that come into direct contact with skin.
Orange around the world
What the orange family means from country to country.
The lowest band of the flag is orange, often called apricot, after the national fruit. The constitution says it stands for the creative talent and hard work of the people.
Politics and protestNature and renewalPrideSource: Flag of ArmeniaThe flag is split corner to corner. The orange half stands for the Buddhist tradition, and the white dragon across the middle for purity.
Sacred and holySource: Flag of BhutanOn 30 September people wear orange shirts to remember the children sent to residential schools. Phyllis Webstad's new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at one.
Mourning and deathPolitics and protestGriefSource: National Day for Truth and ReconciliationOrange is also the colour of the New Democratic Party. Its sweep of Quebec seats in the 2011 election was called the Orange Wave.
Politics and protestSource: New Democratic PartyThe flag shows the island in copper orange on white. The colour recalls copper, which was mined here in ancient times and may have taken its name from Cyprus.
Politics and protestNature and renewalSource: Flag of CyprusThe orange stripe of the flag stands for Protestants, the followers of William of Orange. In Northern Ireland the Orange Order still marches each 12 July in orange sashes.
Politics and protestSource: Orange OrderShades and relatives of Solvent Yellow 14
Sudan I is part of a family of Sudan dyes, which includes Sudan II, III, and IV. These dyes vary in their shade and melting points. Sudan III, for example, is used for similar purposes but melts at a lower temperature. The dyes can sometimes be confused with each other due to their similar uses and colours.
Questions people ask about Solvent Yellow 14
What colour is Solvent Yellow 14 (Sudan I)?
Solvent Yellow 14, or Sudan I, is an orange-red dye. It produces a strong, warm hue that falls between yellow and red.
Where does the name Sudan I come from?
The name Sudan I comes from its place in the Sudan dye group, a set of synthetic azo dyes used for colouring non-polar materials.
Is Solvent Yellow 14 safe to use in food?
No, Solvent Yellow 14 is banned for use in food in many countries due to concerns about its possible carcinogenic and genotoxic effects.
How is Solvent Yellow 14 made?
It is made by reacting aniline with nitrous acid to form a diazonium salt, which is then combined with 2-naphthol to create the dye.
What is Solvent Yellow 14 used for today?
Today, it is mainly used to colour waxes, oils, polishes, and in the production of orange-coloured smoke. Its use in food and textiles is restricted.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Sudan I", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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