also: Canthaxanthin (C40 carotenoid)
A red-orange pigment from the carotenoid family, once used to colour Strasbourg sausage under Directive 94/36/EEC, not carried into EU or UK food use when Regulation 1333/2008 replaced that directive.
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At high cumulative doses, canthaxanthin deposits crystal particles in the retina, which can impair vision.
Why it’s worth knowing. At high cumulative doses, canthaxanthin deposits crystal particles in the retina, which can impair vision. One fatal case of aplastic anaemia was reported after high-dose tanning-pill use. Although retinal damage is linked to doses far above any food additive level, the EU did not include it in any food category permission when consolidating the additives list under Regulation 1333/2008.
Canthaxanthin is a keto-carotenoid pigment (C40H52O2) in the same chemical family as beta-carotene and astaxanthin. It occurs naturally in chanterelle mushrooms (from which it takes its name), crustacean shells, carp, certain algae, and is responsible for the pink-red plumage of flamingos. The version used commercially is produced synthetically.
It acts as an intense red-orange colourant by absorbing blue-green wavelengths of light. In animal feed it transfers into muscle and egg yolk, giving farmed salmon and egg yolks a deeper colour. It was formerly used in food in tiny amounts to give Strasbourg sausage its characteristic reddish hue.
Canthaxanthin is no longer used in any food sold in the UK or EU. It is still used in licensed medicines and pharmaceutical preparations. It remains authorised as an animal feed additive for farmed poultry and salmonid fish (salmon, trout) within the EU and UK, meaning trace residues may be present in farmed fish and poultry products, though regulated residue limits apply. On a food ingredient label it would appear as E161g or canthaxanthin, but you should not encounter it on any current UK food product.
At high cumulative doses, canthaxanthin deposits as crystalline particles in the inner layers of the retina, particularly around the macula. This was first documented in people taking large doses of canthaxanthin as a tanning supplement. Crystals are visible as a 'donut' ring of gold-yellow flecks on eye examination. Most people with deposits have no symptoms, but some develop reduced visual acuity or visual field loss. The condition is generally reversible after stopping intake, though crystals can persist for years.
Retinal crystal deposits were found in 50% of people who had taken a cumulative total dose of more than 37g of canthaxanthin, and in 100% of those who had taken more than 60g. All cases involved tanning-pill use, not food additive exposure.
EFSA set the acceptable daily intake (ADI) at 0.03 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, based directly on the formation of crystalline deposits in the retina observed in both monkeys and humans. The ADI was derived from a no-observed-adverse-effect level of 0.25 mg/kg bw/day for changes in night-vision function (scotopic b-wave).
The EU Scientific Committee on Food reduced the ADI from 0.05 to 0.03 mg/kg bw/day after concluding that high-dose intake induced reversible retinal crystal deposits and electroretinogram changes in humans.
A single published case reported fatal aplastic anaemia in a previously healthy young woman who took high-dose canthaxanthin tanning tablets. The authors noted that human safety data for oral canthaxanthin were limited and that the cosmetic use did not justify the risk. No further fatal cases have been attributed to food additive doses in the published literature. The frequency of this adverse effect is unknown.
Aplastic anaemia with a fatal outcome occurred in a previously healthy young woman after ingesting canthaxanthin provided by a commercial tanning salon. The authors concluded that the risk, however rare, could not be justified for cosmetic purposes.
Canthaxanthin remains authorised as a feed additive for farmed salmon, trout, and poultry. EFSA reviewed this and concluded that residues reaching consumers through farmed fish and eggs are unlikely to push combined exposure above the ADI at current permitted feed levels. Residue limits in salmon muscle are set at 25 mg per kilogram in the EU.
EFSA's 2010 review concluded that combined exposure from food and feed additive use was unlikely to exceed the ADI of 0.03 mg/kg bw/day for either adults or children, on the basis of estimated residues in farmed fish and eggs.
People with existing retinal conditions or eye disease should be aware that canthaxanthin accumulates in retinal tissue. It is not present in UK food products, so direct food exposure is not a current concern. Anyone taking unlicensed tanning supplements, capsules, or tablets containing canthaxanthin should stop and consult a GP. Look for the name canthaxanthin or E161g on supplement or medicine packaging.
The retinal and blood disorder evidence that drove the regulatory concern came almost entirely from people taking canthaxanthin in very large doses as tanning tablets, typically cumulative totals measured in tens of grams over months. The doses involved in the documented cases are orders of magnitude above what any food use would have delivered. The EU nonetheless did not carry the food use into Regulation 1333/2008, partly because there was no compelling reason to keep it and partly to stay within a comfortable margin of the ADI. The science on retinal crystal formation is well-established: dose-dependent, generally reversible, but real. The aplastic anaemia case is a single report at high supplemental doses; its generalisability is unknown. The EU's position is clear-cut: no food use is permitted, the evidence was sufficient to act on, and the substance now survives in regulation only because of its pharmaceutical role.
Canthaxanthin is not authorised as a food additive in the UK or EU. It is listed in the food additive register only because it is used in licensed medicines. No UK food product may legally contain it as an added colourant. It remains permitted as an animal feed additive for farmed fish and poultry under separate legislation.
At high cumulative doses, canthaxanthin deposits crystal particles in the retina. This was documented in people taking large-dose tanning tablets (total doses above 37g). Most cases were asymptomatic, but some caused reduced vision. The deposits are generally reversible after stopping intake. There is no documented case of retinal damage from exposure at food additive levels.
No UK or EU food product is currently permitted to contain E161g as an added colourant. Trace residues of canthaxanthin may be present naturally in farmed salmon or trout where it has been included in fish feed, but residue levels are regulated. Chanterelle mushrooms and some crustaceans contain it naturally.
The commercially produced form of canthaxanthin used in food and medicines is made synthetically. Natural canthaxanthin comes from animal and microbial sources including crustaceans and flamingos, but the synthetic version does not involve animal-derived raw materials. As it is not currently permitted in food, the vegan question is mainly relevant to pharmaceutical preparations, where the excipients (not the canthaxanthin itself) would determine vegan suitability.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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