Allergy diet - colour low

Aim

To provide a diet that excludes foods containing artificial colours and certain natural colours.

Characteristics

Avoids the following additive colours:

Note: The following colours are permitted: 100 (curcumin or turmeric), 150 (caramel), 160a (carotene).

Indications

Intolerance to artificial colours established by a medically supervised placebo-controlled challenge

Nutritional adequacy

Nutritionally adequate.

Precautions

It is not possible to provide a full list of all permitted commercial products; the following are general guidelines only. The ingredient lists of processed foods must be carefully and regularly scrutinised. If a product lists an ingredient as colour without a detailed additive description or code, the product should not be used in this diet.

Paediatrics

Suitable for use in paediatrics when combined with an age-appropriate diet.

Specific menu planning guidelines

	Allowed	Not allowed
Hot main dishes	All plain cooked meat, poultry, fish and eggs	Casserole dishes made with commercial sauces
Sauces, gravies	Plain white sauce, tomato sauce	Gravies
Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice	All	-
Vegetables	All	-
Soups	Most – check label	Pumpkin, tomato, chicken noodle – check label
Sandwiches	All sandwiches made with butter or colour-free margarine, or no margarine	Ham, silverside Chutneys and pickles – check labels
Salads, dressings	Most salad ingredients Plain salad dressing (oil and vinegar) and mayonnaise – check label	Ham, silverside Commercial salad dressings
Breads, cereals	All breads Most breakfast cereals	Some products with added fruit – check label
Spreads	Butter, some margarines (for example PC Meadow Lea® margarine) Honey, Vegemite™, marmalade, peanut butter Most jams – check label	Most margarines Jams with added colours
Hot breakfast choices	All	-
Fruit	All fresh fruit and most canned fruits	Some canned fruit salads – check label
Yoghurt	Plain yoghurt	Flavoured and fruit yoghurt
Desserts	Home-made custard without colours Ice-cream, puddings, cheesecake, creamy rice – check labels	Jelly Most commercial soft custards, toppings, mousses Fruit cake
Milk and cheese	All plain milk Most cheeses	Flavoured milk, milkshakes
Beverages	Tea, coffee Most juices (except some orange juices) Lemonade, ginger ale	Orange juice with non-permitted colours added Cordial, coloured soft drinks Many nutrition supplements – check label
Biscuits	Plain biscuits	-
Miscellaneous	-	-

References

1. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit. RPAH Elimination diet handbook. Sydney: RPAH; 2010.
2. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Choosing the right stuff: the official shoppers’ guide to food additives and labels, kilojoules and fat content. Sydney: Murdoch Books; 2007.
3. Swain AR, Soutter VL, Loblay RH. Friendly food: the complete guide to avoiding allergies, additives and problem chemicals. Sydney: Murdoch Books; 2004.