Comparing E160A - carotene vs E172 - Iron oxides and iron hydroxides

Overview

E160A - carotene

Carotene (E160A) is an orange plant pigment used to color foods. It most often refers to beta-carotene, a provitamin A compound that the body can convert into vitamin A. In foods, it brings warm yellow-to-orange shades and helps keep color consistent from batch to batch.

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E172 - Iron oxides and iron hydroxides

Iron oxides and iron hydroxides (E172) are mineral pigments used to give foods red, yellow, brown, or black shades. They are insoluble, stable colors made under strict purity standards and are used mainly on the surface of foods, such as coatings and decorations. Rules vary by country: they are widely authorized in the EU, while uses in the U.S. are more limited.

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Synonyms
E160a
carotene
E172
Iron oxides and iron hydroxides
Functions
colour
colour
Origins
Plant
Microbiological
Synthetic
Synthetic
Mineral
Products

Found in 5,839 products

Found in 23 products

Search rank & volume
#1746.4K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#47150 / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.16
under-aware

×0.44
under-aware

Search volume over time

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

Search history data is not available.

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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).

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  1. What happen on the bold and beautiful on s31 e172?

    That’s a TV episode and unrelated to this additive; E172 refers to iron oxides and iron hydroxides, inorganic pigments used as colorants in foods, medicines, and cosmetics.

  2. What is e171 and e172?

    E171 is titanium dioxide, a white colorant (no longer authorized in EU foods since 2022), while E172 comprises iron oxides and hydroxides that provide yellow, red, or black pigments and remain permitted in many regions.

  3. What is e172 in food?

    E172 are insoluble iron oxide/hydroxide pigments used to color foods—especially the surfaces of confectionery, decorations, and coatings—in yellow, red, or black. They provide color only and do not meaningfully contribute dietary iron.

  4. What is e172 in medicine?

    In medicines, E172 is a colorant excipient used in tablet and capsule coatings and imprint inks to help identify products and strengths; it has no therapeutic effect.

  5. What is e172 in resaerch article?

    In research articles, “E172” typically refers to food‑grade iron oxide/hydroxide pigments, studied for composition, particle size (including any nano fraction), behavior in digestion, and safety. It may also be used as a standardized pigment in analytical or migration method studies.

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