E160a — Beta-carotene
E160a (Beta-carotene), a color, is rated "safe": no significant concern. The orange pigment in carrots and pumpkins. Your body converts it to vitamin A as needed. Used to color margarine, dairy products, and orange drinks.
What is Beta-carotene?
The bright orange pigment from carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and palm oil. Used as both a coloring and a vitamin A source in margarine, butter, cheese, and orange-tinted dairy and drinks.
What does it do to the body?
Your body converts it to vitamin A only as much as you need, so it does not cause vitamin A toxicity. Eating large amounts can turn your skin slightly orange (carotenemia), which is harmless and reverses when you stop. Smokers on high-dose supplements showed increased lung cancer risk in old trials, but that does not apply to food-level use.
What regulators say
EFSA and the FDA both treat it as a safe color and nutrient. No numerical acceptable daily intake set for food use.
Risk rating: Safe
Cleared by EFSA with no significant concern at typical dietary exposure. Common, well-studied, and not a reason to put a product back on the shelf.