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E160fColorantLow concern
Ethyl Ester of β-apo-8'-Carotenoic Acid
In plain words
The short version
An orange-yellow carotenoid ester — the heat-stable cousin of E160e for retorted foods.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
JECFA withdrew the former group ADI of 0–5 mg/kg body weight (shared with synthetic β-carotene and β-apo-8'-carotenal) in 2019. It could not complete an evaluation of the methyl and ethyl esters because no new data were submitted. Hydrolyzed in digestion to the parent carotenoic acid plus ethanol — both metabolized normally.
The detail
A natural-identical carotenoid synthesized from intermediates of the β-carotene route. It is the ethyl ester of β-apo-8'-carotenoic acid; E160e is a different compound, β-apo-8'-carotenal.
Used in retort soups, canned vegetables, dressings, and supplements where the warmer orange-yellow palette and better heat stability than annatto or paprika are needed. Provides a similar shade to E160e but with longer survival in aggressive processing.
Red-violet to brown-red crystalline powder or oily dispersion. Soluble in fats and oils; insoluble in water. Sensitive to light and oxygen.
Not permitted in the EU: it was left off the EU list of authorised food additives (Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011) because the manufacturer no longer offered it and business operators no longer supported its re-evaluation.
Sources
- JECFA database: beta-apo-8'-carotenoic acid, methyl and ethyl esters (INS 160f), ADI withdrawn (2019) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 2019. Group ADI 0–5 mg/kg bw withdrawn
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 establishing the Union list of food additives, recital 13 — Publications Office of the European Union (Official Journal L 295), 2011. E 160f not included in the EU Union list
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, consolidated text of 18.08.2026 (Annex II Part B, list of colours) — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. Current EU colour list has E 160e but no E 160f
- JECFA database: beta-apo-8'-carotenal (INS 160e) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 2019. E160e is β-apo-8'-carotenal (not the carotenoic acid)
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.