Beta-apo-8'-carotenal
بيتا-أبو-8'-كاروتينال
Colour (synthetic carotenoid)
The verdict
The carotenoid that breaks the pattern — its limit was cut sharply, and kids can exceed it.
What it is
A synthetic orange carotenoid, chemically related to beta-carotene, used to colour drinks, sauces, and desserts.
Don't let the 'carotenoid' family name fool you. Unlike its benign relative beta-carotene, EFSA treated this one much more cautiously: in 2012 it cut the old safety limit roughly 100-fold to an ADI of 0.05 mg/kg (on the basis of kidney changes in rats) and found that both adults and children can exceed that new limit at higher use levels. So despite the natural-sounding name, beta-apo-8'-carotenal behaves more like a synthetic dye that warrants watching than like the provitamin-A its cousin provides.
Evidence & status
IARC carcinogen group
not_classified
Acceptable intake
ADI 0.05 mg/kg bw/day (EFSA 2012, revised down from 5)
EU status
approved (ADI 0.05 mg/kg, EFSA 2012)
US · FDA status
approved (exempt from certification, with limits)
Halal status: halal
Synthetically manufactured (no animal source); halal and vegan.
Worth knowing
Also known as
E 160e · Apocarotenal · C30 carotenoid · CI Food Orange 6
Primary source
Evidence, not medical advice. You decide.
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