Sudan I
Encyclopedia
Sudan I is a lysochrome
, a diazo-conjugate dye with the chemical formula of 1-phenylazo-2-naphthol. Sudan I is a powdered substance with an orange-red appearance. The additive is mainly used to colour wax
es, oil
s, petrol, solvent
s and polishes. Sudan I has also been adopted for colouring various foodstuffs, including particular brands of curry powder
and chili powder, although the use of Sudan I in foods is now banned in many countries, because Sudan I, Sudan III
, and Sudan IV
have been classified as category 3 carcinogen
s (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer
.
Sudan I is still used in some orange-coloured smoke
formulations and as a colouring for cotton refuse used in chemistry experiments.
.
Comparisons between experimental animals and human Cytochrome P450 (CYP) strongly suggest animal carcinogenicity data can be extrapolated to humans.
Sudan I is also present as an impurity in Sunset Yellow, which is its disulfonated water-soluble version.
. A Worcestershire sauce
produced by Premier Foods was found to be contaminated by the carcinogenic dye. The origin was traced to adulterated
chili powder. The sauce was used in hundreds of supermarket products, such as pizzas and ready-made meals, and the contamination led to over 400 products being taken off the shelves. In South Africa
, Sudan I traces were found in several spices (Robertson's Peri-Peri Sauce and two Taj Mahal spice products) in 2005 and 2007.
Due to the scare, the government of Sudan
requested the name of the dye be changed.
Lysochrome
A lysochrome is a soluble dye used for biochemical staining of triglycerides, fatty acids, and lipoproteins. Lysochromes such as Sudan IV bind to the lipid in a substrate and show up as colored regions. The dye does not stick to any other substrates, so a quantification or qualification of lipid...
, a diazo-conjugate dye with the chemical formula of 1-phenylazo-2-naphthol. Sudan I is a powdered substance with an orange-red appearance. The additive is mainly used to colour wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
es, oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
s, petrol, solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
s and polishes. Sudan I has also been adopted for colouring various foodstuffs, including particular brands of curry powder
Curry powder
Curry powder is a mixture of spices of widely varying composition based on South Asian cuisine. Curry powder, and the contemporary English use of the word curry are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific Indian food, though a similar mixture of spices used in north India is called...
and chili powder, although the use of Sudan I in foods is now banned in many countries, because Sudan I, Sudan III
Sudan III
Sudan III is a lysochrome diazo dye used for staining of triglycerides in frozen sections, and some protein bound lipids and lipoproteins on paraffin sections. It has the appearance of reddish brown crystals and a maximum absorption at 507 nm.Sudan III is a dye used for Sudan staining...
, and Sudan IV
Sudan IV
Sudan IV is a lysochrome diazo dye used for the staining of lipids, triglycerides and lipoproteins on frozen paraffin sections. It has the appearance of reddish brown crystals with melting point 199 °C and maximum absorption at 520 nm.Sudan IV is one of the dyes used for Sudan staining. Similar...
have been classified as category 3 carcinogen
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
s (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer
International Agency for Research on Cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer is an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organisation of the United Nations....
.
Sudan I is still used in some orange-coloured smoke
Colored smoke
Colored smoke is a kind of smoke created by an aerosol of small particles of a suitable pigment or dye.Colored smoke can be used for smoke signals, often in a military context. It can be produced by smoke grenades, or by various other pyrotechnical devices...
formulations and as a colouring for cotton refuse used in chemistry experiments.
Toxicology
Sudan I is a rodent carcinogen — laboratory tests on rats showed growth of cancerous tumours in the liver and bladder. These tests have led to the additive being banned from use in foods throughout the EU, as it may pose an increased risk of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Comparisons between experimental animals and human Cytochrome P450 (CYP) strongly suggest animal carcinogenicity data can be extrapolated to humans.
Sudan I is also present as an impurity in Sunset Yellow, which is its disulfonated water-soluble version.
Food scare
In February 2005, Sudan I became a prominent news topic, particularly in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. A Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce , or Worcester sauce is a fermented liquid condiment; primarily used to flavour meat or fish dishes.First made at 60 Broad Street, Worcester, England, by two dispensing chemists, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins, the Lea & Perrins brand was commercialised in 1837 and...
produced by Premier Foods was found to be contaminated by the carcinogenic dye. The origin was traced to adulterated
Adulterant
An adulterant is a chemical substance which should not be contained within other substances for legal or other reasons. Adulterants may be intentionally added to more expensive substances to increase visible quantities and reduce manufacturing costs or for some other deceptive or malicious purpose...
chili powder. The sauce was used in hundreds of supermarket products, such as pizzas and ready-made meals, and the contamination led to over 400 products being taken off the shelves. In South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Sudan I traces were found in several spices (Robertson's Peri-Peri Sauce and two Taj Mahal spice products) in 2005 and 2007.
Due to the scare, the government of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
requested the name of the dye be changed.
Synonyms and brand names
- Atul Orange R
- Benzene-1-azo-2-naphthol
- Brasilazina oil Orange
- Brilliant oil Orange R
- Calcogas M
- Calcogas Orange NC
- Calco oil Orange 7078
- Campbelline oil Orange
- Carminaph
- Ceres Orange R
- CerotinOrange G
- CI Solvent Yellow 14
- C.I. Solvent Yellow 14
- Dispersol Yellow PP
- Dunkelgelb
- Enial Orange I
- Fast oil Orange
- Fast oil Orange I
- Fast Orange
- Fat Orange I
- Fett Orange 4A
- Grasal Orange
- Grasan Orange R
- Hidaco oil Orange
- Lacquer Orange VG
- MotiOrange R
- Oil Orange
- Oleal Orange R
- Orange à l'huile
- Orange insoluble OLG
- Orange 3RA soluble in grease
- Orange resenole No. 3
- Orange R fat soluble
- Organol Orange
- Orient oil Orange PS
- Petrol Orange Y
- 1-(Phenylazo)-2-naphthol
- Plastoresin Orange F4A
- PyronalOrange
- Resinol Orange R
- Resoform Orange G
- Sansei Orange G
- Scharlach B
- Silotras Orange TR
- Solvent Yellow 14
- Somalia Orange I
- Sudan I
- SpiritOrange
- Spirit Orange
- Spirit Yellow I
- Stearix Orange
- Sudan J
- Sudan Orange R
- Sudan Orange RA
- Sudan Orange RA new
- Tertrogras Orange SV
- Toyo Oil Orange
- Waxakol Orange GL
- Waxoline Yellow I
- Waxoline Yellow IM
- Waxoline Yellow IP
- Waxoline Yellow IS