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Section127
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules

List of colours permitted to be used in drugs

In force Act 23 of 1940 As on 15 Oct 2026

Read from the scanned gazette. India Code publishes no text for this Act, so the text below was read from the Government's own scan by machine and split into sections by its numbering. It has not been checked against the page word by word. Where it matters, read the scan. Read the scan.

Act 23 of 1940

Read from the scanned gazette. India Code publishes no text for this Act, so this text was read from the Government's own scan by machine and split into sections by its numbering. It has not been checked against the page word by word. Where it matters, read the scan. Read the scan.

Section 127 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules deals with list of colours permitted to be used in drugs. No drug shall contain a colour other than specified below :- (1) Natural Colours Annatto Carotene Chlorophyll Cochineal Curcumin Red Oxide of iron Yellow Oxide of iron [Titanium Oxide] [Black Oxide of iron] (2) Artificial Colours Caramel [Riboflavin] (3) Coal Tar Colours Common name of the colour Co

(1) No drug shall contain a colour other than specified below :- (1) Natural Colours Annatto Carotene Chlorophyll Cochineal Curcumin Red Oxide of iron Yellow Oxide of iron 2 [Titanium Oxide] 3[Black Oxide of iron] (2) Artificial Colours Caramel 4[Riboflavin] (3) Coal Tar Colours Common name of the colour Colour Index Number Chemical Name GREEN Quinazarine Green S.S. 1, 4-bis (p-Toluino) anthraquinone. Alizarin Cyanine Green F. Disodium salt of 1, 4-bis (O-sulfo-p- Toluino) anthra-quinone. 2Fast Green F.C.F. Disodium salt of 4-{[4-(N-ethyl-p Sulfobenzylamino)-phenyl-]-(4-hydroxy- 2- sulfoniumphenyl)-methylene} [1-(N-ethyl-N-p-sulfobenzy1]4 2, 5-cyclohexadienimine]. YELLOW Tartrazine Trisodium salt of 3-carboxy-5- hydroxy-l- p-sulfophenyl-4-p- Sulfophenyl azopyrazole. Sunset Yellow FCF Disodium salt of 1-p-sulfophenyl azo-2- naphthol-6-sulfonic acid. 1. Amended by S.O. 289, dt. 3-2-1973. 2. Ins. by X.11013/3/76-DM.S, dt. 19-8-1978. 3. Ins. by G.S.R. 370 (E), dt. 7-4-1994. 4. Ins. by G.S.R. 681 (E), dt. 6-6-1988. 5. "Green S" omitted by G.S.R. 753 (E), dt. 4-11-1999. IndiaCode 1[Quinoline Yellow WS Disodium salt of disulfonic acid of 2(2- quinolyl)-1, 3-indandione.] RED 2* Erythrosine Disodium salt of 9-0-carboxyphenyl 6-hydroxy 2,4-5,7-tetriodo-3-isoxanthone Eosin YS or Eosine G Disodium of salt of 2,4,5, 7-Tetrabromo- 9-p- carboxyphenyl-6-hydroxy 3-isoxanthone. Toney Red or Sudan III 1-p-phenylazophenylaze-2-naphthol. Ponceau 4 R Trisodium salt of 1-(4-sulpho-1-1- Napthylazo)- Carmoisine Disodium salt of 2-(4-sulpho-1-napthylazo)-1 BLUE Disodium salt of indigotin-5 : 5 Disu lphonic Acid Indigo Carmine 4Brilliant Blue FCF Disodium salt of 4-[ {4-(N-ethyl-p- sulfobenzylamino)-phenyl }-](2- sulfonium phenyl)-methylene)-1-(N- ethyl-N-p- sulfobenzyl)- 4 2, 5-cyclohexadienimine. ORANGE Orange G Disodium salt of 1-phenylazo-2- naphthol-6, 8- disulfonic acid. BROWN Resorcin Brown Monosodium salt of 4-p-sulfophenylazo-2-(2, 4- xylylazo-1, 3 resorcinol. BLACK Naphthol Blue Balck Disodium salt of 8-amino-7-p-nitro- phenylazo- 2-phenylazo-1-naphthol-3, 6-disulfonic acid. 1. Subs. by G.S.R. 11(E), dt. 7-1-1991. 2. 'Amaranth' omitted by G.S.R. 753(E) dt. 4.11.1999. 3. Fast Red omitted by G.S.R. 753, dt. 4-11-1999. 4. Ins. by X.11013/3/76-DM.S, dt. 19-8-1978. naisod: OS-disulphonic acid. Ind* Cepthol-4 sulphonic acid (4) LAKES The aluminum or calcium salts (lakes) of any of the watersoluble colours listed above.

(2) The label on the container of a drug containing a permitted colour shall indicate the common name of the colour.

Section 127, The Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules (Act 23 of 1940).

Questions about Section 127

What does Section 127 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules deal with?

Section 127 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules is headed "List of colours permitted to be used in drugs". No drug shall contain a colour other than specified below :- (1) Natural Colours Annatto Carotene Chlorophyll Cochineal Curcumin Red Oxide of iron Yellow Oxide of iron [Titanium Oxide] [Black Oxide of iron] (2) Artificial Colours Caramel [Riboflavin] (3) Coal Tar Colours Common name of the colour Co

How do I find court cases under Section 127 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Drugs Cosmetics Act Rules 127, section 127 Drugs Cosmetics Act Rules, section 127 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.

When was the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules enacted?

Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules was enacted in 1940 as Act 23 of 1940. India Code records no commencement date for it. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Read from the Government's own scanned gazette with Azure Document Intelligence, then split into sections by their numbering. India Code publishes no text for this Act. The scan itself is mirrored into our own storage and served at /scan/053728db-416d-4003-acca-99b3d6b7df6f.pdf, so the reading here can be checked against the page it came from without depending on India Code's own copy staying where it is (it was at https://indiacode.gov.in/server/api/core/bitstreams/2cd6c2e9-226a-4ecd-badb-d1db92507328/content). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.