The sunset yellow dye, which was banned from Norway and Finland, had its acceptable daily intake (ADI) revised and reduced from 2.5 mg. Kg-1 to 1.0 mg. Kg-1 in European Union in 2009. Although in Brazil it is allowed to add the dye to food, its concentrations are not informed in food labels, for that reason, the objective of this study was to determine the content of the dye in powdered drink mixes, popularly known as “refrescos”, in Brazil. Four different flavours of powdered drinks were studied: orange, pineapple, mango and passion fruit (in which 3 different trademarks were for orange flavour and 2 trademarks for the other flavours). There were analyzed 3 packages from each one of the three different batches from the previously mentioned flavours. The dye was extracted using methanol ammonia 5% and quantified by spectrophotometry in 481 nm, using standard from Sensient Colors-Latin America, Lerma, México. The data were treated by ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). The concentrations of dye (in mg. 100 g-1) found in orange flavour, pineapple flavour, mango flavour and passion fruit flavour were: 125.86; 38.94; 115.14 and 13.64, respectively. All of the powdered drink mixes used for the test exceeded the maximum limit established by the Brazilian legislation of 10 mg. 100 g-1. The orange and mango flavoured powdered drink mixes presented ten times more dye content than the maximum limit allowed, while the passion fruit flavoured powdered drink mix presented the lowest dye content. Different trademarks had distinct values of dye contents in a same flavoured powder (from 35.49 to 185.14 mg. 100g-1 for orange flavoured powder, for example). Conversely, a portion of the beverage after prepared to be consumed (200 mL) of any flavour, does not reach the ADI, even in kids of 12 Kg body weight.