E160A - carotene

At a glance

• What it is: A group of orange pigments from plants and algae; beta-carotene is the best known form.
• What it does: Adds yellow to orange color; helps offset color loss during processing or storage.
• Where you’ll find it: Drinks, dairy desserts, margarine and spreads, baked goods, sauces, and confectionery.
• How it’s made: Can be synthesized, produced by fermentation, or extracted from plants or algae.
• Label names: E160a, beta-carotene, mixed carotenes.
• Dietary notes: Usually suitable for vegetarians and vegans; check labels for carriers in powdered forms.
• Regulation: Authorized color additive in both the U.S. and EU within good manufacturing practice limits.

Why is carotene added to food?

Carotene is added to make foods look appealing and consistent. Its warm yellow-orange tone can restore color lost during processing and create a natural-looking hue in products like margarine, fruit drinks, and desserts. It is fat‑soluble, blends well into oils and emulsions, and is relatively stable in many recipes.

What foods contain carotene?

You may see carotene listed on:

• Soft drinks, juices, and flavored waters
• Ice cream, yogurt, and dairy desserts
• Margarine, spreads, and cooking oils
• Cakes, cookies, breakfast cereals, and bars
• Sauces, soups, and ready meals
• Gummies, hard candies, and other sweets

On labels, look for “beta-carotene,” “mixed carotenes,” or “E160a.”

What can replace carotene?

Formulators may choose other colorants to reach similar shades:

• Yellow to orange: curcumin from turmeric, paprika extract, or annatto
• Red to pink: beetroot red
• Yellow: lutein
• Red-orange: lycopene

The best substitute depends on the exact shade, solubility, and how the color holds up to heat, light, and acidity.

How is carotene made?

In the EU, E160a covers several sources and production methods:

• beta-carotene made by chemical synthesis
• beta-carotene from Blakeslea trispora, a fermentation process using a fungus
• mixed carotenes from plants, extracted from vegetable oils and plant materials
• algal carotenes, typically from the microalga Dunaliella salina¹

EU specifications list purity criteria and permitted carriers for these forms.¹

Is carotene safe to eat?

Yes. In the United States, beta-carotene is an approved color additive for foods when used in line with good manufacturing practice.² The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has re-evaluated E160a and found no safety concern at reported use levels for the approved sources.³

Very high intakes from supplements (not food use) have been linked to increased lung cancer risk in people who smoke or were exposed to asbestos; this does not apply to the small amounts used to color foods.⁴ Eating a lot of carotene from foods can sometimes cause a harmless yellowing of the skin (carotenemia) that goes away when intake is reduced.⁵

Does carotene have any benefits?

Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid. The body can convert it to vitamin A, which supports normal vision, immune function, and skin health.⁴ However, the amounts used to color foods are small, so carotene in processed foods should not be relied on as a main source of vitamin A.

Who should avoid carotene?

• People who smoke or have significant asbestos exposure should avoid high-dose beta-carotene supplements; this advice concerns supplements, not typical food additive levels.⁴
• Anyone with carotenemia (yellowing of the skin from high carotene intake) may wish to limit carotene-rich foods until skin color normalizes.⁵
• If your clinician has advised you to limit vitamin A precursors for a medical reason, follow their guidance.

Myths & facts

• Myth: Carotene is the same as vitamin A. Fact: Beta-carotene is a provitamin A that the body can convert into vitamin A as needed.⁴
• Myth: Carotene color in food is unsafe. Fact: Approved uses of E160a are evaluated by regulators and considered safe at permitted levels.²
• Myth: Yellow skin from carotene means liver damage. Fact: Carotenemia from high carotene intake is usually harmless and reversible.⁵

carotene in branded foods

On ingredient lists, carotene often appears as “beta‑carotene (color),” “mixed carotenes,” or “E160a.” It is commonly used to color margarine and spreads, flavored milks and yogurts, fruit drinks, breakfast cereals, and sweets. Shade can range from pale yellow to deep orange depending on the dose and the specific carotene source.

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — EU food additives specifications (E 160a). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩²

2. Beta-carotene; color additive allowed in food — U.S. FDA, 21 CFR 73.95. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-73/subpart-A/section-73.95 ↩ ↩²

3. Re-evaluation of beta-carotene (E 160a) as a food additive — EFSA Journal. https://efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2593 ↩

4. Vitamin A and Carotenoids Fact Sheet — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Carotenemia — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001176.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³