Comparing E160D - Lycopene vs E161B - Lutein

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.

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E161B - Lutein

Lutein (E161B) is a yellow to orange natural color from the carotenoid family, often extracted from marigold flowers. It gives foods warm golden shades and also occurs naturally in leafy greens and egg yolks.

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Synonyms
E160d
Lycopene
E161b
Lutein
Xanthophyll
tagete extract
Functions
colour
colour
Origins
Plant
Microbiological
Synthetic
Plant
Products

Found in 206 products

Found in 241 products

Search rank & volume
#8727K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#8229.6K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×18.73
over-aware

×17.61
over-aware

Search volume over time

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

Interest over time for 4 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

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Popular questions

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

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  1. How much lutein per day?

    There’s no established daily requirement; supplements commonly provide around 10 mg/day, and EFSA has set an acceptable daily intake of 1 mg/kg body weight/day for lutein (from Tagetes erecta) used as a food color (E161b).

  2. What is lutein good for?

    As a food additive it provides yellow–orange color; in the body, lutein (with zeaxanthin) concentrates in the retina, helping support macular pigment and normal visual function.

  3. How much lutein and zeaxanthin should i take daily?

    There’s no official RDA; a commonly studied regimen is 10 mg lutein plus 2 mg zeaxanthin per day (e.g., in AREDS2 formulations), though needs can vary—ask your clinician for personalized advice.

  4. What does lutein do?

    In foods it acts as a yellow–orange colorant (E161b); biologically it’s an antioxidant carotenoid that helps filter blue light in the eye.

  5. What foods have lutein?

    Leafy greens (kale, spinach), broccoli, peas, corn, and egg yolks are rich sources; smaller amounts occur in pistachios, zucchini, and kiwifruit.

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