The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) has delivered an opinion on the safety and efficacy of indigo carmine in feed for ornamental fish.
Indigo carmine (E 132), an authorized food colorant, is intended to be used as a feed additive for fish without a maximum content.
The FEEDAP Panel concluded that indigo carmine (purity of at least 93 % coloring matter) is safe for ornamental fish up to 1 000 mg/kg complete feed.
Users may be at risk of inhalation exposure to dust from indigo carmine. In the absence of information on the inhalation toxicity, such exposure is regarded as hazardous. Indigo carmine is not an irritant to skin and eyes. Indigo carmine should be considered as a potential skin and respiratory sensitiser in humans.
Indigo carmine is effective in adding color to feedingstuffs for ornamental fish.
It is recommended to increase the specified minimum purity of indigo carmine from 85 % to 93 % total coloring matter to ensure that the safety assessment is applicable.
It is noted that routine control should be possible if maximum contents of an additive in feed are proposed for safety reasons. However, no such analytical method is available for indigo carmine.
