Beetroot Red
Function: Natural Color
E162 is the European food-additive number for Beetroot Red, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Beetroot Red (E162) is a colour used as a food additive.
What is E162 used for?
Beetroot Red (E162) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all food colours (E-numbers).
Is E162 safe or restricted?
E162 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as “No regulatory flags” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E162 vegan or vegetarian?
Beetroot Red (E162) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E162?
E162 appears in 3,157 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in protein powder / shake, hard candy and ice cream.
- Protein Powder / Shake360
- Hard Candy144
- Ice Cream139
- Sausages138
- Chocolate Candy86
- Marshmallow84
- Chocolate Truffles / Pralines76
- Gummy Candy70
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E162 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E162
- What is E162?
- E162 is the E-number for Beetroot Red, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Beetroot Red (E162) is a colour used as a food additive.
- What is E162 used for?
- Beetroot Red (E162) is a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E162?
- E162 appears in 3,157 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in protein powder / shake, hard candy and ice cream. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E162 vegan or vegetarian?
- Beetroot Red (E162) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E162 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E162 is an approved food additive in the EU and currently carries no special regulatory restrictions in the EU additive register. Forkin classifies it as "No regulatory flags" and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E162 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.