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E163 Anthocyanins – Natural Food Colorant

E163 is a natural food colorant derived from anthocyanins, sourced from plants such as grapes and elderberries. It gives foods red, purple, and blue hues and is considered safe for consumption.

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Things worth knowing about "E163"

E163 is a natural food colorant derived from anthocyanins, sourced from plants such as grapes and elderberries. It gives foods red, purple, and blue hues and is considered safe for consumption.

What is E163?

E163 is the official EU designation for anthocyanins used as a food additive. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant pigments responsible for the red, purple, and blue colors found in many fruits, vegetables, and flowers. As a food colorant, they are typically extracted from sources such as grape skins, elderberries, black currants, red cabbage, and hibiscus flowers.

Origin and Extraction

Anthocyanins are obtained through extraction from plant-based raw materials. Commonly used sources include:

Grape skins (especially as a by-product of winemaking)
Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
Black currants (Ribes nigrum)
Red cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
Sweet potatoes and hibiscus flowers

Because E163 is a natural colorant, it is generally perceived by consumers as a more acceptable and well-tolerated additive compared to synthetic alternatives.

Properties and Color Behavior

A distinctive feature of anthocyanins is their pH-dependent color change: in acidic environments they appear red to orange, in neutral conditions they turn violet, and in alkaline conditions they shift to blue or green. This makes them versatile but also sensitive to light, heat, and pH changes in food products.

Use in Food Products

E163 is used in a wide range of food and beverage products to achieve or maintain an appealing color. Typical applications include:

Fruit juices and soft drinks
Jams, jellies, and fruit spreads
Yogurts, desserts, and ice cream
Confectionery and gummy sweets
Baked goods and breakfast cereals
Alcoholic beverages such as fruit liqueurs

Safety and Health Assessment

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assessed anthocyanins (E163) as safe for use in food. No Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) has been established, as no safety concerns were identified at the levels typically consumed. Anthocyanins are generally well tolerated and rarely associated with allergic reactions.

In nutritional science, anthocyanins are also recognized for their potential health-promoting properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, these benefits are primarily documented for anthocyanins naturally present in whole foods rather than specifically for the additive form used in processed products.

Labeling

On food ingredient lists, this substance is declared either as E163 or as anthocyanins. As a natural colorant, E163 does not require any warning labels, unlike certain synthetic food dyes that carry mandatory advisory notices in the EU.

References

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Re-evaluation of anthocyanins (E 163) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 2013.
European Commission: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives.
Khoo, H. E. et al.: Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food & Nutrition Research, 2017.

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