Carotenes
Function: Natural Color
E160A is the European food-additive number for Carotenes, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Carotenes (E160a) is a colour used as a food additive.
What is E160A used for?
Carotenes (E160A) 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 E160A safe or restricted?
E160A 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 E160A vegan or vegetarian?
Carotenes (E160A) can be produced from plant, mineral, or animal-derived raw materials, and the ingredient list rarely states which source was used — so its vegan status genuinely depends on the specific product.
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 E160A?
E160A appears in 7,575 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in pastry, margarine and ice cream.
- Pastry672
- Margarine274
- Ice Cream257
- Hard Cheese183
- Cakes168
- Pudding / Flan151
- Brioche144
- Mayonnaise143
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E160A 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 E160A
- What is E160A?
- E160A is the E-number for Carotenes, a colour — added to give or restore colour to food. Carotenes (E160a) is a colour used as a food additive.
- What is E160A used for?
- Carotenes (E160A) 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 E160A?
- E160A appears in 7,575 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in pastry, margarine and ice cream. Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E160A vegan or vegetarian?
- Carotenes (E160A) can be produced from plant, mineral, or animal-derived raw materials, and the ingredient list rarely states which source was used — so its vegan status genuinely depends on the specific product. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E160A safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E160A 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 E160A — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.