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Beta-Carotene (E 160a(ii))

Last reviewed October 19, 2026

In plain words: Beta-carotene (E 160a(ii)) is an orange-red plant pigment and vitamin A precursor. In food it colors products yellow to orange and sometimes adds vitamin A.

What the evidence review says

Beta-carotene is the orange pigment found in carrots and other plants, used to color foods. We found no notable concern for food-color use or for beta-carotene in fruits and vegetables. In large trials, high-dose beta-carotene supplements were linked with more lung cancer in heavy smokers and asbestos-exposed workers; those were supplement doses, not food-color amounts.

No notable concern for ordinary food-color use or for beta-carotene eaten in fruits and vegetables. The established concern is high-dose supplements in people who smoke heavily or were exposed to asbestos: in two large trials (ATBC in male smokers, and CARET, which combined beta-carotene with vitamin A), the supplement groups had more lung cancer, and CARET was stopped early. Those were supplement doses, not the amounts used to color food. EFSA and JECFA treat food-additive exposure as not a safety concern for the general population, and EFSA finds no sign of harm from beta-carotene in the background diet.

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This page is for general education. It is not medical advice and does not replace advice from your doctor, pediatrician, allergist or registered dietitian. Research changes; we review these pages when new evidence or rules come out. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.