Comparing E160A - carotene vs E110 - Sunset yellow FCF

Synonyms
E160a
carotene
E110
Sunset yellow FCF
CI Food Yellow 3
Orange Yellow S
FD&C Yellow 6
FD & C Yellow No.6
FD and C Yellow No. 6
Yellow No.6
Yellow 6
FD and C Yellow 6
C.I. 15985
Yellow 6 lake
Sunset Yellow
Functions
Products

Found in 5,839 products

Found in 16,734 products

Search rank & volume
#1746.4K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#13410.4K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.16
under-aware

×0.09
under-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 13 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Popular questions
  1. What is beta carotene?

    Beta‑carotene (E160a) is an orange plant pigment used as a food color and provitamin A; humans can convert it into vitamin A as needed.

  2. Does beta carotene make you tan?

    High intakes can cause a yellow‑orange skin tint (carotenodermia), especially on palms and soles, but this is not a true melanin tan and offers no UV protection.

  3. Is beta carotene bad for you?

    It’s generally safe at normal dietary and additive levels; very high supplemental doses can discolor skin and have been linked to increased lung cancer risk in smokers and asbestos‑exposed people.

  4. What foods have beta carotene?

    Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin/squash, dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), cantaloupe, apricots, and mangoes are rich sources; it’s also present in red palm oil and used to color or fortify various foods.

  5. Is beta carotene vitamin a?

    No—it's a provitamin A that the body converts to vitamin A (retinol); conversion varies by individual and diet (e.g., fat intake).

  1. Is yellow 6 harmful?

    At approved food-use levels, Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow FCF/E110) is considered safe by regulators such as the FDA, EFSA, and JECFA. A small number of people may have hypersensitivity reactions, and the EU requires a warning about possible effects on activity and attention in children.

  2. What is yellow 6 made of?

    It’s a synthetic, petroleum‑derived azo dye—the disodium salt of a sulfonated naphthalene azo compound—and is sometimes used in an insoluble aluminum “lake” form.

  3. Is yellow 6 bad?

    For most people it isn’t considered harmful at typical dietary intakes, which are well below regulatory acceptable daily intakes. Those with sensitivities (e.g., to azo dyes or aspirin) or concerned about children’s behavior may choose to limit it.

  4. What does yellow 6 do to your body?

    It provides color only and has no nutritional function; most is not absorbed and is excreted, though gut bacteria can metabolize small amounts. In susceptible individuals it can trigger allergic‑like reactions, and some children may show small, transient changes in activity or attention.

  5. Does yellow 6 cause cancer?

    Current evidence does not show that Yellow 6 causes cancer at permitted food-use levels, and regulators have not found it to be carcinogenic within established limits. Potential trace contaminants are strictly controlled to minimize any cancer risk.