YenzoWhat is canthaxanthin (E161g)?
It is canthaxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid. According to EFSA, canthaxanthin used as a food additive is made synthetically. Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT classes it as a colour.
E161gCanthaxanthin
E161g is canthaxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid. In food it gives an orange-red colour; it is also used in animal feed to colour egg yolks and salmon flesh.
Did you know? In 2010 EFSA noted that in the EU canthaxanthin was authorised as a food colour only for saucisse de Strasbourg; it is also used as a colour in feed, which adds to human exposure.
- Code
- E161g · INS 161g
- Group
- Colour
In Vietnam✓ PermittedOn the list of permitted additives — Circular 24/2019, Appendix 1
Risk level on the Yenzo Scalelow?Based on EFSA's scientific assessment, 2010
How E161g appears on labels
IngredientsIllustrative example
Wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, colour (161g), dried onion and garlic, pepper, natural colour (160a).
colour (161g)colour 161gE161gINS 161gOn Vietnamese labels: Canthaxanthin
Canthaxanthin in food
Flavoured milk drinksCheese, flavoured processed cheeseFat spreadsJams, jellies, fruit productsPasta and noodlesFrozen and smoked fish productsSoup and broth mixesDipping sauces and similar productsFlavoured water-based drinks
Questions about canthaxanthin
Is canthaxanthin harmful?
In 2010 EFSA set an ADI of 0.03 mg/kg body weight per day, based on crystalline deposits in the retina seen in monkeys and humans. This ADI matches the one set earlier by JECFA and the SCF. EFSA concluded that the total combined exposure to canthaxanthin from food and feed additive use is unlikely to exceed the ADI, for both adults and children.
Is E161g permitted in Vietnam?
Yes. Canthaxanthin (INS 161g) is listed in Appendix 1 of Circular 24/2019/TT-BYT, the list of additives permitted in food, with the function colour.
Can children and pregnant women have E161g?
According to EFSA (2010), the total exposure of children to canthaxanthin from food and feed additive use is unlikely to exceed the ADI of 0.03 mg/kg body weight per day. This source does not address pregnant women separately.