No Artificial Colours vs No Added Colours: What Labels Mean

What the two claims are trying to say

No artificial colours is usually a narrower claim. It points to the origin or type of colour additive the brand says it has avoided. A product can make that claim while still using colour from another source, or while relying on ingredients that have their own natural colour.

No added colours sounds broader because it suggests the manufacturer has not added a colour ingredient for appearance. It does not mean the food is colourless, unprocessed, additive-free, or nutritionally different from every similar product. Tomatoes, beetroot, paprika, turmeric, cocoa, malt, and caramelised ingredients can all affect appearance as part of a recipe.

The practical question is not which phrase sounds better. It is whether the detailed label supports the claim and whether the colour information matters to your shopping decision. In the UK, food information must be clear, easy to understand, easily visible, and not misleading, so front-of-pack wording should be checked against the legally required label details.

Start with the ingredients list

The ingredients list is where a prepacked food should identify additives and other ingredients. UK guidance says additives in ingredients lists are shown with their function followed by the specific name or E-number, such as colour: curcumin or colour: E100. That function-plus-name pattern is more useful than the front claim alone.

Look for the function word colour, the plural colours, a named colour additive, or an E-number from the colour range. Also read compound ingredients in brackets. A fruit preparation, seasoning blend, coating, or sauce inside another product can contain its own components, and those details may carry the colour clue.

Some products use ingredients that colour the food while also contributing taste, aroma, or nutrition. A strawberry yoghurt may look pink because of strawberry preparation. A crisp seasoning may use paprika powder. A sauce may look darker because of tomato paste or caramelised ingredients. That is different from seeing a declared colour additive, but it is still part of the label comparison.

Artificial, natural, and E-numbers are separate questions

A common label-reading mistake is to treat artificial, natural, and E-number as the same distinction. They are not. An E-number is an identification system for authorised additives in relevant markets. It does not, by itself, tell you whether an additive came from a natural source or was manufactured synthetically.

EU additive rules define colours by their technological purpose: they add or restore colour. EFSA describes food colours as additives used to make up for colour loss, enhance existing colour, or add colour to foods. Some colour additives are associated with plant, mineral, or animal sources, while others are synthetic. The exact name matters more than the emotional pull of the phrase.

Natural-source language also needs care. A selectively extracted pigment from a food source can still be treated as a colour additive under EU-style rules. Meanwhile, a food ingredient such as turmeric, paprika, beetroot, or spinach can colour a product as part of the recipe. The package wording has to do the hard work; the front claim cannot do it on its own.

A worked example: two fruit drinks

Imagine two fictional bottled fruit drinks in the same flavour and serving size. Drink A says no artificial colours on the front. Its ingredients list includes water, sugar, fruit juice from concentrate, acidity regulator: citric acid, natural flavouring, and colour: beta-carotene. Drink B says no added colours. Its ingredients list includes water, fruit juice from concentrate, sugar, citric acid, and flavouring, with no colour function listed.

Drink A may support its no artificial colours claim if the colour used is not an artificial colour in that market, but the product still declares a colour additive. Drink B is making a broader claim and, in this fictional example, no colour function appears in the ingredients list. That does not prove Drink B is lower in sugar, more suitable for allergies, or better overall. It only answers the colour-addition question more directly.

Now compare the rest of the package. The nutrition panel may show similar sugars per 100 ml. The flavouring terms may differ. The allergen information may be irrelevant for both, or it may matter in another product category. A colour claim should start a focused label check, not end the decision.

What the label can and cannot establish

The label can usually tell you whether a colour function is declared, which name or E-number is used, whether a warning appears, and whether the front claim is narrow or broad. That is enough to answer a focused question such as “does this product list a colour additive?” or “does this claim say artificial colours or all added colours?”

The label may not explain the manufacturer’s full reason for choosing a colour ingredient, the exact amount used, or whether a similar-looking product in another country follows the same rules. It also cannot turn colour wording into a nutrition, allergy, or personal suitability decision.

If a colour or warning matters because of professional guidance, allergy-sensitive shopping, pregnancy guidance, or a medical restriction, use the current physical package and qualified advice. Online listings, saved scans, and old product photos can lag behind reformulations or regional packaging changes.

• A front claim tells you what is being promoted, not every ingredient detail.
• The ingredients list is where colour functions, names, and E-numbers are checked.
• Warnings and allergen information are separate checks.
• Natural-source wording does not automatically mean additive-free.
• The current package matters when the wording affects a decision.

A practical colour-claim checking routine

Use the same routine when comparing sweets, soft drinks, sauces, yoghurts, cereals, snacks, desserts, or ready meals. It keeps the colour claim in proportion and helps you compare similar products fairly.

The order matters because front claims are designed to be noticed first. Put the detailed label back in charge before deciding whether the claim changes anything important for you.

1. Match the product type, flavour, size, and country of sale.
2. Write down the exact front claim: no artificial colours, no added colours, naturally coloured, or another phrase.
3. Read the ingredients list for colour, colours, named colour additives, E-numbers, and compound ingredients in brackets.
4. Look for any warning statement connected with specific colours.
5. Separate colour wording from flavouring, sweetener, preservative, allergen, and nutrition questions.
6. Compare a similar product on the same serving or per-100 g/ml basis.
7. Use the physical package over an old scan or online listing when the wording differs.

The practical takeaway

No artificial colours is not the same claim as no added colours. One usually points to a type of colour additive; the other suggests no colour has been added for appearance. Both still need to be checked against the ingredients list and the package around it.

When colour wording matters, track the exact phrase, the exact ingredient name, and the product category. Then keep the rest of the label in view: nutrition, allergens, serving basis, warnings, storage instructions, and the current package you are buying.