Curcumin
The short version
The yellow-orange pigment of turmeric — a widely loved clean-label natural colorant.
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Where it comes from
Extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa (turmeric), a member of the ginger family cultivated in India and Southeast Asia for over 4000 years. The pigment is purified by solvent extraction and crystallization. Curcumin makes up only 2–5% of dry turmeric — most commercial curcumin colors are blends of curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin).
How it's used
The dominant natural yellow in mustard, curry powders, processed cheese, ice cream, snack coatings, and baked goods. Increasingly used as a clean-label replacement for synthetic tartrazine (E102). Often co-formulated with annatto (E160b) for warmer orange tones, or paprika oleoresin (E160c) for red-orange hues.
Safety profile
ADI of 0–3 mg/kg body weight (EFSA 2010). Very low toxicity — turmeric has been consumed at dietary doses for millennia. Curcumin has poor bioavailability orally and is rapidly metabolized. Investigated as a nutraceutical for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but the colorant-level intake is well below any pharmacological dose.
Physical & chemical properties
Bright yellow to orange crystalline powder. Practically insoluble in water; soluble in ethanol, oils, and alkaline solutions. Sensitive to light (photodegrades to vanillin and ferulic acid). Color shifts from yellow at neutral/acid pH to red-brown at alkaline pH.
Regulation worldwide
Permitted globally without restrictive limits. EU- and US-approved natural colorant.
Educational information only. Not medical or dietary advice.