E161g Canthaxanthin

E161gColorsOrigin: Lab-made

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The short answer

Canthaxanthin (E161g) is an orange-pink pigment used in small amounts in food and in fish and poultry feed. The daily limit is tiny because large supplement doses have deposited crystals in the eye.

58/100

Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberE161g

Comes fromLab-made

What it doesColors

Glycemic index—

Daily limit0.03 mg/kg

Also calledCanthaxanthin, CI 40850

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDAApproved with limits

🇪🇺 European UnionApproved with limits

🇨🇦 Health CanadaApproved with limits

CaliforniaNo extra rules

Canthaxanthin is allowed only in limited foods and in animal feed. EFSA's daily limit is very low, 0.03 mg per kg of body weight, because high supplement doses have left crystals in the retina.

How much is too much? (Acceptable Daily Intake)

Body weight: 70 kg

2.1 mgper day is the safe upper limit

Based on 0.03 mg per kg of body weight (EFSA / JECFA). A 20 kg (44 lb) child: 0.6 mg a day.

What is it?

This carotenoid colors salmon flesh, egg yolks and a few sauces. The food use is measured in milligrams. The eye problem showed up in people taking canthaxanthin tanning pills, not in people eating salmon.

Where it comes from: Food canthaxanthin is usually synthesized to match the pigment flamingos and some mushrooms make. It is also fed to farmed salmon and egg-laying hens so flesh and yolks keep a set color.

Why it’s in food

Colors farmed salmon
Sets egg-yolk color
Tints some sauces
Was sold as a tanning pill

Often found in

Farmed salmonEgg yolksSaucesFish feedPoultry feedA few confectionery items

Also listed as: Canthaxanthin, CI 40850, Food orange 8

Health & gut impact

RetinaUnder study

High doses of canthaxanthin, mostly from tanning pills, can leave golden crystals in the retina. That is why the daily limit is only 0.03 mg per kg.

EFSA opinion on canthaxanthin (2010)

Food versus pillsConcern

The amount used to color food or fish feed is far below the supplement doses linked with those crystals.

JECFA evaluation of canthaxanthin

What can I use instead?

Paprika extract

Ratio: To shade

Best for: Sauces and snacks

Annatto

Ratio: To shade

Best for: Cheese and snacks

More colors:

Allura Red AC (Red 40) E129Red 40 (E129) is a petroleum-based dye. It's legal in the US and EU, but European packages must carry a warning about hyperactivity in children, and California is removing it from school food.Best to avoid Amaranth dye E123Amaranth dye (E123) is a synthetic red that the US banned in 1976. Europe still allows tiny uses. It is not the amaranth seed sold as a gluten-free grain.Best to avoid Ammonia caramel (Caramel III) E150cAmmonia caramel (E150c) is the caramel class made with ammonia and no sulfite, common in beer. It is approved, but like cola caramel it can contain 4-MEI, which California lists under Proposition 65.Use in moderation Annatto E160bAnnatto (E160b) is a natural orange color from achiote seeds. It's what makes cheddar orange. It's safe and vegan, though it's one of the few natural colors that can trigger allergies.Generally safe

Common questions

Does the canthaxanthin in salmon harm eyes?

The eye crystals were tied to high-dose tanning pills. A portion of salmon contains a small fraction of that amount.

Is Canthaxanthin safe?

Use in moderation (58/100). Canthaxanthin is allowed only in limited foods and in animal feed. EFSA's daily limit is very low, 0.03 mg per kg of body weight, because high supplement doses have left crystals in the retina.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations

21 CFR 73.75 (US FDA)
EFSA OpenFoodTox: E161g
EFSA opinion on canthaxanthin (2010)
JECFA evaluation of canthaxanthin

INS 161g · CAS 514-78-3