E161H - Zeaxanthin

At a glance

• What it is: A xanthophyll carotenoid that gives a yellow to orange hue in foods and supplements.
• What it does: Colours products and helps standardize natural colour from batch to batch.
• Where it’s found naturally: Corn, orange bell peppers, egg yolks, leafy greens, and some berries.
• Label names: “Zeaxanthin,” “E161h,” sometimes in blends like “lutein and zeaxanthin.”
• Dietary notes: Can be plant‑derived (e.g., marigold) or made synthetically; vegan status depends on source.

Why is Zeaxanthin added to food?

Food makers use zeaxanthin to give or boost warm yellow‑orange colour in products such as beverages, confections, and sauces. It belongs to the carotenoid family, so it imparts a natural‑style shade and can help even out colour variation in plant‑based recipes.¹

What foods contain Zeaxanthin?

Zeaxanthin occurs naturally in many foods. Good sources include corn (maize), orange bell peppers, egg yolks, kiwi, grapes, and leafy greens like kale and spinach. Typical diets provide small amounts daily, often together with lutein.²

As an ingredient, zeaxanthin shows up most often in eye‑health dietary supplements, sometimes paired with lutein. In markets where permitted as a colour, it may appear in select beverages, desserts, or sauces.

What can replace Zeaxanthin?

Depending on the shade and label goals:

• For similar warm yellow‑orange: lutein or beta‑carotene.
• For bright orange‑red: paprika extract or annatto.
• For golden yellow with a spicier note: curcumin.
• For tomato‑red hues: lycopene. Each option differs in stability, flavour impact, and regulatory status, so formulators choose based on the product and market.

How is Zeaxanthin made?

Commercial zeaxanthin can be produced by chemical synthesis to a defined purity and isomer profile, following food‑grade specifications.³ It can also be obtained from natural sources (for example, marigold flower materials) using extraction and purification steps designed to concentrate the pigment for use in foods or supplements.³

Is Zeaxanthin safe to eat?

Zeaxanthin is a common dietary carotenoid, and no Tolerable Upper Intake Level has been set for zeaxanthin or lutein by U.S. authorities.² In the United States, zeaxanthin is marketed as a dietary supplement ingredient; as with all supplements, it is not approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases.⁴

In Europe, the safety of synthetic zeaxanthin has been evaluated for use in food supplements, and an intake of up to 2 mg/day for adults was concluded to be safe under the assessed conditions of use.³ Always follow label directions and consult a healthcare professional if you have medical conditions or take prescription medicines.

Does Zeaxanthin have any benefits?

In the body, zeaxanthin and lutein accumulate in the macula of the eye, where they help filter blue light and act as antioxidants.² Large clinical trials (AREDS2) found that replacing beta‑carotene with a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin in the study formula reduced the risk of progression to advanced age‑related macular degeneration for certain participants.⁵ These findings relate to specific supplement formulas studied under medical supervision and do not make claims for regular foods.

Who should avoid Zeaxanthin?

• If you are pregnant, nursing, giving supplements to children, or managing a health condition, speak with a healthcare provider before using zeaxanthin supplements, as evidence in these groups is limited.⁴
• If you smoke, choose eye‑health supplements that do not contain beta‑carotene; AREDS2 replaced beta‑carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin due to increased lung cancer risk with beta‑carotene in smokers.⁵

Myths & facts

• Myth: Zeaxanthin and lutein are the same. Fact: They’re closely related carotenoids but distinct molecules; both concentrate in the eye and work together.²
• Myth: Zeaxanthin is “artificial.” Fact: It occurs naturally in common foods like corn and egg yolks; commercial ingredients may be natural‑source or synthetic but meet food‑grade specs.²³
• Myth: Eye supplements always contain beta‑carotene. Fact: The AREDS2 formula removed beta‑carotene and used lutein plus zeaxanthin instead.⁵

Zeaxanthin in branded foods

You’re most likely to see zeaxanthin on the labels of eye‑health dietary supplements, often combined with lutein. In some markets it may also appear in fortified beverages, nutrition bars, or dairy‑style drinks to support a warm yellow colour. On ingredient lists, look for “zeaxanthin,” “E161h,” or “lutein and zeaxanthin.”

References

Footnotes

1. Zeaxanthin (Compound Summary) — PubChem, National Institutes of Health. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Zeaxanthin ↩

2. Lutein and Zeaxanthin — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/LuteinandZeaxanthin-HealthProfessional/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Scientific Opinion on the safety of synthetic zeaxanthin as a novel food ingredient — EFSA Journal. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2811 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Lutein and Zeaxanthin — FDA Dietary Supplement Ingredient Directory. https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-ingredient-directory/lutein-and-zeaxanthin ↩ ↩²

5. AREDS2 results and supplement information — National Eye Institute (NIH). https://www.nei.nih.gov/research/clinical-trials/age-related-eye-disease-studies-aredsareds2 ↩ ↩² ↩³