Comparing E160AI - Beta-carotene vs E160BI - Annatto bixin
Overview
Synonyms
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Found in 5,601 products
Found in 3 products
Search rank & volume
Awareness score
Search volume over time
Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Interest over time for 3 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Popular questions
Does beta carotene make you tan?
High intakes can give the skin a yellow‑orange tint (carotenodermia), especially on the palms and soles; it’s not a melanin “tan” and fades when intake is reduced.
Is beta carotene bad for you?
At the amounts used as a food color and from normal diets, it’s considered safe; however, high‑dose supplements have been linked to increased lung cancer risk in smokers and asbestos‑exposed people and can cause temporary skin yellowing.
What foods have beta carotene?
Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash, spinach, kale, collards, apricots, mango, cantaloupe, and red/orange peppers are rich sources; it’s also added as color (E160a) to some foods.
Is beta carotene vitamin a?
No—it's a provitamin A carotenoid that your body converts to vitamin A (retinol) as needed.
How much beta carotene per day?
There’s no specific daily requirement for beta‑carotene; most people can meet vitamin A needs via carotenoid‑rich foods, and high‑dose beta‑carotene supplements (around 20 mg/day or more) are not recommended for smokers.
How common is bad tast with bixin?
Off-taste from bixin is uncommon at typical use levels; annatto’s flavor is usually mild and not noticeable. Bitterness or earthy/painty notes are more likely if overdosed, oxidized/aged, or used in very neutral-flavored matrices.
How is bixin used in food?
It’s an oil-soluble annatto carotenoid used to give yellow–orange color, especially in cheeses, margarines, snacks, and other fat-containing foods. For water-based products, manufacturers typically use the saponified, water-dispersible form (norbixin).
How to solubilize bixin?
Dissolve it in warm vegetable oil or other food-grade nonpolar carriers (often 40–60°C), or formulate it as an oil-in-water emulsion with suitable emulsifiers while protecting from light and oxygen. For water systems, convert it to norbixin via mild alkaline saponification and then neutralize to maintain dispersion.
How to test for bixin in spices?
Extract with hexane/acetone (or ethanol) and screen by UV–Vis absorption around 470–480 nm or by TLC/HPTLC against a bixin standard, noting potential interference from other carotenoids. For specific identification and quantification, use RP-HPLC with diode-array detection (or LC–MS) and compare retention time and spectrum to a certified standard.
How to test for bixin on spices?
Swab the surface with a solvent-wetted swab (hexane/acetone or ethanol), extract the swab, and analyze as above by UV–Vis/TLC for a quick screen and HPLC-DAD (or LC–MS) for confirmation. Simple color spot tests can indicate annatto, but chromatography against a bixin standard is needed for definitive results.