Red-orange carotenoid pigments from paprika, used as a colorant and regulated in Annex IV.
What it is
Capsanthin/capsorubin is, according to CosIng, a colouring material derived from paprika oleoresin, a mixture of pigments consisting mainly of the carotenoids capsanthin and capsorubin; as a food colour it is known as E160c. CosIng lists it as a colorant. In the EU it is listed in Annex IV (colorants).
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of coloured products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
See the EU regulation section for the applicable conditions, including purity criteria. The label does not show the amount of colorant used.
Functions
- Colorant
- Exclusively or mainly intended to colour the cosmetic product, the body as a whole or certain parts thereof, by absorption or reflection of visible light; (precursors of oxidative hair colorants shall be deemed colorants). All authorised colorants are substances in the positive list of Annex IV to the Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009.
EU regulation
- Conditions and warnings
- Purity criteria as set out in Commission Directive 95/45/EC (E160c)
- As of
- 3 November 2026 · (EC) 2009/1223