E160d — Lycopene
E160d (Lycopene), a color, is rated "safe": no significant concern. The red pigment from tomatoes and watermelon. Has antioxidant activity. Used to color sauces, drinks, and dairy products.
What is Lycopene?
The red pigment that gives tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit their color. Used as a coloring in sauces, soft drinks, and some dairy desserts.
What does it do to the body?
An antioxidant that is part of any tomato-rich diet. No realistic safety issue from food-level use. Very high supplement intake can occasionally cause a harmless red-orange skin tint that reverses when you stop.
What regulators say
EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 0.5 mg per kg of body weight per day in 2008. The FDA approves it without restriction.
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.