Comparing E160D - Lycopene vs E160A - carotene

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Overview

E160D - Lycopene

Lycopene (E160d) is a red pigment found naturally in tomatoes and other red fruits. In foods, it is used as a colour additive to give shades ranging from pink to deep red, especially where a “tomato-like” hue is desired. It can come from tomatoes, fermentation, or be made synthetically, but it works the same in coloring foods.

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.

Synonyms

E160d

Lycopene

E160a

carotene

Functions

colour

Origins

Products

Found in 206 products

Found in 5,839 products

Search rank & volume

#8727K / mo🇺🇸U.S.

#1746.4K / mo🇺🇸U.S.

Awareness score

×18.73

over-aware

×0.16

under-aware

Search volume over time

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

Popular questions

What is lycopene good for?
As a food additive (E160d), it provides a natural red color to foods; in the diet, it's an antioxidant carotenoid that’s been studied for heart and prostate health, though evidence for disease prevention is mixed.
How much lycopene per day for prostate health?
There’s no established medical dose; clinical studies often use about 10–30 mg/day from tomato products or supplements, but benefits are not confirmed—discuss supplementation with a healthcare professional.
How much lycopene per day?
There’s no RDA, but safety authorities set an acceptable daily intake of 0–0.5 mg/kg body weight/day (about up to 35 mg/day for a 70 kg adult); typical diets provide only a few milligrams per day.
What does lycopene do?
In foods, E160d colors products red and helps standardize appearance; in the body it acts as an antioxidant carotenoid with no vitamin A activity.
What foods have lycopene?
Naturally rich sources include tomatoes and tomato products (paste, sauce, ketchup), watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya, red carrots, and gac; as an additive, it appears on labels as lycopene or E160d in items like beverages, confectionery, sauces, and dairy desserts.